


The Nature of the Blue Spirit

by PearLynn



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Book 2 Blutara, Dry Humping, Dry Orgasm, F/M, Fingering, Hand Jobs, Katara is kidnapped, Shenanigans, Sloppy Makeouts, Zuko saves her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-06-07 22:22:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 28,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15229203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PearLynn/pseuds/PearLynn
Summary: To Zuko, this walled city was always busier at night.Zutara/ Blutara one-shot.Now with Part Two!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> another commissioned story! Check it out, and consider helping me out by commissioning your own story or donating to my ko-fi! Links for information are on my profile or my tumblr page.

He didn't understand why he was doing this again, donning the all black attire with the hood and the blue mask, but it just felt  _right_. There was an itch in his palms that begged him to grab his swords and swing out of his window, scale the side of his apartment building and search for a fight. Maybe it was his insistent need to feel  _something_ , even if it was as simple-minded as throwing a punch at a stranger or threatening another pimp, but the nagging in the back of his mind said it needed to be done.

Just  _something_.

The first thing he noticed about Ba Sing Se at night was that the city never slept. Even in the later hours, lights filled the streets and the muted sounds of buzzing crowds filled his ears. People strolled together and raved about a new dish at the local restaurant and the attractiveness of the serving staff, or how a place called a _'club'_  was pretty busy that night.

To Zuko, this walled city was always busier at night.

He silently swooped into an abandoned alcove near the firelight fountain he had been brought to a few weeks prior, noting how the lights were once again out and had given the open square an unwelcoming vibe. Just the kind of place he wanted to be.

Usually he would perch here for about an hour and then move on to one of the more shady areas of the lower ring if he couldn't find a pervert or thief he could rough up. But something about tonight beckoned him to remain in his spot for another five or ten minutes.

And he wasn't disappointed.

There were shouts coming from the building across the courtyard, one sounding feminine and a few others sounding like males. His eyes narrowed and he sprang down from his spot, landing in a swift roll on the cobblestones beneath his feet. He moved like a ghost across the fountain, not being spotted by a soul, and slid up against the building that housed the shouts. Peering through the holes of his mask and into the open window, he saw the back of a woman- no more like a girl on the verge of womanhood based on the small muscles and the budding curves of her hips- and what appeared to be her captors. One was in the process of tying her wrists above her head, while the other two were murmuring to themselves, glancing at her every time she thrashed. The girl was struggling against her bonds, cursing at the three men with a colorful vocabulary even Zuko hadn't even heard from his crew in the years on his ship.

This strange girl had an awful lot of fight in her when she was completely helpless.

There was something familiar about her voice, something Zuko couldn't put his finger on. Her wavy brown hair fell down her back and touched the top of her tailbone, almost covering the scraps of a green robe that had been ripped off her body and fell haplessly at her sides. Her skin was like mocha, going well with the shade of her hair. From behind, this girl was quite a sight.

And Zuko knew why these men had tied her up.

He gulped and grabbed the joint handle of his swords, preparing to jump in and take these men out when the opportune moment rose. His palms were starting to sweat and his mouth dried, just like they always did before he fought. He was always like this. And he loved it.

"Let go of me!"

Something clicked in Zuko's mind and he felt his jaw tighten and his heart to hammer in rage. He knew that voice. He knew the girl it belonged to. Given, she was an enemy, but he could never forget someone like that.

 _Katara_.

He gritted his teeth and went to jump in and save her, but he froze when one of the men stepped forward and struck her hard across the face. She fell limp in her bonds and Zuko knew right then and there that the man had knocked her unconscious. His vision went red, for reasons truly unknown to him, and he unsheathed his swords right when he spotted one of the others stepping forward and reaching forward to touch her.

He swung through the window and kicked the closest man in the head, hearing a dull crunch when the man hit the floor. He spun around and charged forward towards the man that had hit Katara, too stunned and slow to fight, and skewered him with one of the broadswords. The last man lifted up his arms away from Katara and Zuko had to refrain from smirking when he pulled his blooded sword out of the other man's torso and squared himself towards his last obstacle.

Things were a blur when he lunged forward, dodging a single hook from the man, and slit his throat. The man fell to the ground with a gurgle and his blood began to pool underneath him.

With a sigh, Zuko shook his head then turned to Katara, shocked upon what he saw.

Her robes were almost completely shredded away from her upper body, revealing her bare breasts and stomach. Zuko had to fight a blush and the almost instantaneous twitching of his dick when his eyes went to her dark nipples. He cursed himself for the reaction, for it made him just as low as the perverts who had tied her up. He gulped and took one of his swords and slashed the ropes above her head, then caught her body as she fell against his. He rolled his eyes and with one arm still around her waist, he sheathed his swords. He didn't think that part through.

Together, they sank to the floor in an unceremonious heap and Zuko had to struggle with what to do next. Should he take her to his apartment? Then what? Was she hurt? Based on the appearance of her clothes and lack of blood on her skin, he would guess that anything she would take out of this situation would be psychological. He couldn't just take her back to wherever she was staying because he had no idea where that was. Probably in the Upper Ring, especially if she was here with the Avatar, which would be more likely than not. And he couldn't just carry her around the Upper Ring searching for her home, not in her state of undress.

He'd have to take her back to his apartment and lend her some clothes for when she woke up.

She began to stir in his arms and he knew it would be a good time to get her out of there, lest her see the bloodbath behind him. Quickly, he took the sash from around his waist and tied it around her breasts to at least cover her nipples. He knew he'd face her wrath if he went outside without at least protecting her modesty as much as he could. Standing up, Zuko hoisted her into his arms, one behind her back and one under her knees, and stepped through the window and out into the courtyard. He was so thankful those lanterns weren't lit tonight, because if someone were to see him carrying a half-naked girl through the alleys he'd be in deep shit.

With her in his arms, surprisingly heavier than he would have thought, he moved a little slower than normal. He was risking being caught by the Dai Li, more so tonight than ever before. And wearing a mask, draped in black, and holding the Avatar's waterbender while she was in such a state would be enough evidence to lock him away for life. He needed to get home. And fast.

Zuko had slunk in the shadows of a nearby alley when Katara groaned and opened her eyes. She blinked a few times, the brilliant blue clouded by confusion and muddled from unconsciousness. He saw her look up at him, so he slowed his pace.

"What's going on?" she asked, voice heavy and slurred. He didn't answer. He couldn't give away his voice, knowing it would be completely recognizable to her. So in his silence, she asked again, "Did you save me?"

He nodded once and stopped in the center of the alley, far enough from both the courtyard and the nearby road to not be seen by anyone passing by. He looked at her through the holes of his mask, praying she couldn't see his eyes in the darkness and through the screens that covered them. She stared at him before he lowered her legs to the ground. Katara seemed to almost stumble for a split second before righting herself.

She murmured her thanks as she looked to her chest and shamefully wrapped her arms around herself. Looking away, red flaming on her cheeks, she asked , "What happened to those men?"

Zuko paused for a moment, then gripped the handle of his swords. He unsheathed them enough for her to see the blood that he hadn't removed from the blade, her eyes widening at the sight, before he pushed them back down and took a step back. He knew it would be best for him to retreat, to get out of the gaze that has been floating around his mind for months. But she held him in his place, unspoken words anchoring him to his spot.

"I've seen your wanted posters," she said suddenly. "I wouldn't have expected a thief to come in and save me."

He shrugged.

"Why don't you speak?"

He dipped his chin. He knew he was casting her an annoyed glance, but she wouldn't be able to see it through the wood of his mask. If she could, she'd know who he was. And so far, she wasn't running.

" _Can_  you speak?"

He nodded, slowly, then took another step back. She followed.

"Then why won't you talk to me?"

He tilted his head to the side and crossed his arms, as if to say  _'Why do I need to talk?'_

She shrugged and answered his unspoken question, "I don't know, I just want to know why you saved me."

In the driest, and most polite, gesture he could manage, he pointed to her chest and motioned at her body. She looked down, blushed again, and frowned.

"So you just did it because I was naked and you could have me after you saved me?"

Inwardly groaning, he shook his head and palmed the mask against his forehead. Instead of shouting at her, calling her a stupid peasant and cuffing her across the back of her head with his hand, he gestured around his waist, then to her chest. She looked down again, then to his clothes, then back to her chest.

"This is yours?"

He rolled his eyes and nodded.

She plucked at the fabric experimentally, then crossed her arms over her stomach to try and hide the skin that hadn't been covered by the sash. "I guess I should thank you, then. Those men had caught me with my guard down. If I wasn't being so careless, I would have been able to fight them off."

Zuko tried not to roll his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time and just leave her here, but something deep inside of him - the same urge that kept him in that courtyard earlier - begged for him to stay just a little longer. There was a conflicting voice inside of his head, however, that sounded a lot like Azula saying,  _"Just leave the peasant here. She can find her way back. I'm surprised you even rescued her in the first place. She's filth, and you're royalty. There's no point in sticking around anymore."_

He wanted to spite that little voice more than anything.

"Where exactly are we?" she asked, causing Zuko to blink out of his brooding. He gestured the best he could, facing his palm towards the ground and lowering it, then touching his forefinger and thumb together to make a ring. The intended message was clear and she dropped her gaze sadly. "The Lower Ring, then. I won't be able to get home until the morning."

He shrugged. Unless she scaled the walls or bribed the guards at each gate, she truly was stuck. He doubted the papers she needed to get through the gates to the Upper Ring were in the shreds of what was left of her robe.

"I suppose I couldn't go back with you to wherever you live, huh?"

Zuko froze and stared at her with disbelief. Was she serious? She had no idea who he was! Just because he saved her from being raped didn't mean she could trust him implicitly! Is that how she came to be so close with the Avatar? Because she trusted so damn easily? It would prove to be her death, someday.

It would be one thing if he took her there while she was unconscious, but willingly was a different ball game.

Her hopeful face dropped and she murmured, "I'll take that as a  _'no._ ' Thanks for saving me, though. I'll make it home on my own."

As she turned away to walk back out towards the lit streets, Zuko panicked. She couldn't walk all the way back to the Upper Ring by herself, not like that! She would likely be flagged down by a guard because of her attire, or lack thereof. Or more lustful men would eye her and try to snatch her off the street again. With no water or weapons, she was completely defenseless. He reached out and snatched her wrist in his hand, causing her to still and look at him with suspicion and a little fear.

"Do you want a payment of some sort?"

He snorted and shook his head. She surely was something else. Zuko held up his finger in a gesture to tell her to wait, and he quickly climbed up the building behind them. He heard her hiss out a question on where he was going, but he ignored her.

He couldn't let her stay with him, but he couldn't likely let her walk back alone and half naked without some sort of protection.

The apartment was close-by, close enough that he could dart in, grab an extra shirt and a waterskin, and dart out in less than three minutes. When he returned to the alley, Katara was leaning against the wall with her arms folded across her chest, in the only beam of moonlight that reached that alleyway. He refused to acknowledge the way her breasts look pressed together and how her nipples were poking against the fabric of his sash, or how the moonlight made her look like some sort of goddess.

He shouldn't be noticing those things about her in the first place.

Zuko landed in front of her in a crouch, startling her completely, and he straightened as he handed her the shirt and waterskin. Katara's eyes widened with disbelief again before tentatively reaching for the items.

"Really?"

He nodded.

Katara took the waterskin first and unpopped the cork, then looked in to see it full of water. She eyed him again, skeptical now, before taking the shirt and tugging it over her head. Now she was completely covered, save her arms, and he ignored the way she inhaled the smell of the shirt as it went over her head.

He had to reprimand himself at the impure thoughts that raged through him at what was under  _his_ shirt.

Her unnaturally blue eyes looked up at him, glowing in the single sliver of pale moonlight, and she smiled - actually  _smiled -_ at him as she asked in the sweetest voice he had ever heard, "Surely, I have to thank you. And return your things to you after I get home safely. Can you meet me in the Upper Ring tomorrow night?"

Zuko's heart surged into his throat and all he could do was nod dumbly. This girl, this admittedly pretty and sweet and  _sexy_ waterbender was looking up at him with mystified eyes and a hopeful smile, as if she was entranced by the thought of being saved by some masked hero and the desire to thank him for all he did.

He had to swallow past ache that settled in his stomach. She had no idea...

Katara took a hesitant step towards him and into the shadows, her fingers outstretched towards his mask. He thought of how as soon as the moonlight left her skin, the mystical quality didn't leave it, as well. It was a troubling thought.

Zuko took a staggering step backwards, only stopping when his back hit the wall.

"Are you so afraid of me seeing your face?" she whispered, her confusion and hurt clear in those eyes.

He nodded again.

"Can I at least thank you for what you did for me?" Her voice was soft and borderline sultry as she took another daring step forward. Zuko couldn't quell his racing heart, and he turned his face so his left cheek was practically pressed against the wall. He heard her huff of disappointment, but she still reached forward. Her fingers pushed back his hood just enough so she could touch the mask and lift it up to reveal the smooth skin of his right cheek and jaw. He squeezed his eyes shut as she moved closer. Her scent wafted up into his nose and he fought the urge to shudder as her smooth lips pressed against the curve of his jaw.

Luckily he was tall enough that she couldn't reach any higher. Agni help him if she did.

Too soon, she stepped away and put his mask back in its rightful place, and Zuko had to take a deep breath and straighten up as best as he could. He couldn't let her know how much her little gesture affected him, let alone admit that she had somehow turned him into putty with that one trusting look and soft kiss.

"Thank you," she murmured, her eyes taking on that sultry look once again. "Meet me up at the northern bridge near the creek and willow tree in the Upper Ring tomorrow at sunset. I'm sure you'll be able to find your way back without getting caught after that, right?"

Zuko nodded again and she smiled. Without another word, Katara waltzed down the alley and back onto the lit street, where people were starting to file out from the bars to go back home after their nights of drinking. As soon as she blended into the thin crowd, Zuko slid down the wall and planted himself on his behind. He cradled his masked face in his hands in disbelief and tried his best to calm his breathing.

It was a miracle he didn't combust at all of the intimate touching that went on that evening.

How on earth would he be able to face her tomorrow?

* * *

Katara's fingers splayed against the shirt on her tummy, reveling in the texture and smell of the cloth that the Blue Spirit had lent her. The familiarity of the smell tickled at her subconscious, begging her to find out who the masked man had been and why he would save her tonight. She had to know why his smell and his touch was so familiar in her mind.

Which had been full of those thoughts the entire trip back to their Upper Ring home.

It took her almost the whole night to get back, most of it spent at the gates in each ring convincing the guards that she was the Avatar's waterbending master and she didn't have her papers. A little show of advanced waterbending stopped any protests, and by the time she arrived back at the house, she was surprised to see Toph sitting in the living room, waiting for her right at sunrise.

"Where were you?"

Katara shrugged indifferently and replied, "I got caught up in the Lower Ring. Nothing crazy."

Toph's eyes narrowed as if she was going to call out Katara on her lie, but the waterbender quickly turned on her heels and marched straight to her room to prevent any confrontation. Luckily Toph wouldn't be able to see the state of her clothing and both Sokka and Aang were asleep and wouldn't be able to, either.

When her door was shut, Katara locked it and gathered the Blue Spirit's shirt in her hands to give it one long sniff.

Orange blossom and spice, like a cup of herbal tea on a crisp and cool autumn morning. Her heart stirred with recognition at the scent, but she ignored it in favor of stripping herself of the ripped clothes she wore underneath and tossing them in the waste basket near her dresser. She was left with just the sash and the tunic the Blue Spirit had given her, and in a rush of brazenness, she used the sash as lower wrappings and kept the shirt on as a top.

Just for sleeping, of course.

Not because her heart was swooning for the man who saved her from being raped and in the process ensnared her with his fit body and noble actions.

He went to get her a shirt and a waterskin so she could be covered properly and protect herself! That fact alone made her heart flutter. Not to mention his warm hands, which had held and touched her reverently, as if he  _respected_  her despite not knowing exactly who she was, made her think of how they would touch her elsewhere should she let him.

He had every opportunity to take advantage of her, instead he covered her exposed breasts and carried her away from the carnage of the men he had killed because they had taken and hurt her.

The Blue Spirit wiped away all thoughts of the dirty men who had swiped her off the street, who had threatened her and ordered her to tell them about the Avatar and of where they lived so they could get some fast money. When they had ripped open her robe and wrappings and groped her chest, she had cried and screamed and promised to murder them, but all they did was laugh.

When the man who groped her first had slapped her, it was so hard she had blacked out. Her head spun and she could have sworn she heard the enraged screams of an enemy of the past, but she chalked it up to her delirious mind and trauma from being molested by a rough stranger. By the time she came to, she was blessed with the cool night air and the sight of a familiar, if not frightening, blue demon mask.

The Blue Spirit, the vigilante who rescued Aang from Zhao and was wanted by both the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation. Benevolent enough to rescue her from her would-be rapists and whisk her away to safety.

Her heart - and admittedly her center - fluttered and her fingers flexed on her tummy again. He had gone out of his way to save her, to ensure her safety and comfort even though he was a criminal. He protected her, avenged her, unintentionally opening her heart to him because of his selfless actions.

Katara smiled to herself and swore up and down that she would repay him for such a deed when she saw him that night.

With a locked door and shut blinds, she coaxed herself to sleep with the thoughts of the man who saved her and the way his smell somehow made her dream of golden eyes.

When she woke up mid-afternoon, Katara's heart lurched again and she sprung out of bed. Too quickly for her own good, she darted to the attached bathroom and washed up, using extra soap in her armpits and between her legs, and she quickly washed the grime and sweat out of her hair before pulling all of the water off of her body and back into the tub. The clothes from the Blue Spirit were folded and tucked into a little shoulder bag and she dressed herself in just her blue Water Tribe dress, and some flat boots. Out of an impulsive urge, she kept her hair loose this time.

Once she glanced at her reflection in the mirror, noting the slight flush in her cheeks and the brightness of her eyes, she smiled and hustled out the door. She ran down the hall, not stopping when the others shouted at her, and she flew out the door as if she was an airbender like Aang.

The walk to the bridge was long, long enough to last until sundown when she told the Blue Spirit to meet her. In fact, the moment it came into view, she could see the sky was starting to turn the oranges and yellows of twilight.

He should be here soon.

Her fingers fiddled together on the strap of her bag and she gnawed her lower lip between her teeth. It was still light out, so she doubted he would come out in plain sight with his mask. He could be anywhere, watching her and waiting until it was dark enough to emerge from the shadows without being caught. Her stomach flipped at the thought of him watching her walk, keen in anticipation of meeting her again.

Would he be as anxious as she? After all, he seemed as startled as a catdeer when she approached him once they were away from danger. Maybe he wouldn't come because of that very reason... Katara shook her head and tightened her grip on the bag as soon as she stepped onto the bridge. He promised he would be there.

Though, she really couldn't go by the word of a silent man.

The sun was dipping below the horizon when she heard someone clear their throat. Lost in thought, Katara hadn't heard anyone arrive, so she straightened up and looked around for the source of the noise. Spotting no one, she frowned and went back to slowly feeling let down. Then, the throat was cleared again and she looked down into the water that ran under the creek.

No one.

She scowled and snapped her head back up in frustration. The first of the stars were starting to pop up in the darkening sky, and she was sure the Blue Spirit would not be coming. With a despondent sigh, she turned on her heel and marched back down the bridge to head back from where she came.

Another clearing of a throat hit her ears and she glared behind her, only to almost be hit by a pebble. It landed on the ground right by her feet and her gaze moved up to the willow tree in the grove near the creek. There, between the parted branches, was a strikingly familiar blue mask with white markings. Her grin was almost as wide as his as she bounded over, her previous disappointment forgotten, and entered the sanctuary under the canopy.

The Blue Spirit watched her as he backed up towards the trunk of the tree. He seemed reluctant to be here, sensing the implications of meeting her after dark in the Upper Ring where he likely wasn't allowed, but he was still here. Katara smiled and met him as he sank down against the tree and folded his legs, sitting next to him and waiting for a long moment.

Now was as good of a time than any other.

"Here," she said as she took her bag off her shoulder and handed it to him. "Your shirt, sash, and waterskin, as promised. Thank you for all you did for me yesterday. I don't know what I did to deserve a savior like you, but I'm glad you rescued me. If you hadn't shown up, I don't know what I would have done."

She imagined him smiling as he thumbed the sash and then looked back up to her. In the better - but not ideal - lighting here, she could see that his eyes were blocked by some black screen, so she wouldn't be able to see their color even if she tried. His hands were even covered in black gloves and his neck and the top of the mask covered with some sort of loose hood attached to his shirt, so she wouldn't be able to tell the color of his skin or hair unless he or she pushed it back.

His broadswords were still present, and she could see a small dagger was sheathed on his hip, as well.

Her mind went back to the night before, how he had the blood on the swords from the men he had slain to protect her. She had no clue why he would have been so protective of her, but it made her head spin and heart thunder loudly in her chest. The thought of him going out of his way to make sure she was protected when she walked home as well was dizzying.

He even gave her a waterskin full of water, as if he knew she was a waterbender and would need it to protect herself.

That thought made her frown.

She could see the Blue Spirit fidget under her scrutinizing gaze and he turned his head away so their supposed eye contact was broken. Her mind may have been playing a trick on her with this lack of light, but she could have sworn she saw a mangled ear under the darkness of his loose hood. Her stomach tightened and she felt herself get bold.

All of the clues were starting to add up, and if her suspicion was right, this could change  _everything_.

After all, there was only person who smelled like spices and knew she was a waterbender, and the Blue Spirit fit his build.

"I have a question," she started softly and calmly, betraying her sudden anxiety and causing him to look back to her. She met what she suspected was his golden eyes and asked, "Why did you save me?"

The Blue Spirit did not move for a long moment, likely debating in his head whether or not he should vocalize why he had done it. She would be able to tell if he was  _him_ by the sound of his voice alone.

Unfortunately for her, he just shrugged and dropped his gaze to his lap.

"You don't know."

He nodded.

Katara sighed and shuffled closer to him. Their knees touched and she saw him lift his head minutely to look at where they touched. "Can you please speak?"

He shook his head.

"Is it because we know each other?"

His head lifted and she felt like she was melting under his hidden gaze. His nod was slow, deliberate, and it made her heart hammer even harder. If this was him, she had to find out. He was here, in Ba Sing Se, likely with his Uncle. They were  _here,_ and she had to find out if he was hostile or not. Well... if he had saved her from being raped, she doubted that there was any ill intent anymore. After all, they hadn't seen either of them in months. For all she knew, they could have given up on their hunt for Aang and decided to hide in the Earth Kingdom.

The hostility of the woman in that deserted town clued her in well enough that he was no longer welcome by his people. Maybe he was done fighting for the wrong side. His heroic actions last night proved that much to her.

This was a better time than any other. It could truly test his change. Her heart swelled in her throat and she tried to swallow it down as she murmured, "If I kissed you right now, would you stop me?"

The pause was deafening and agonizingly long, but when he slowly shook his head, Katara abandoned all reservations and crawled over to him. She swung her leg over his and straddled his hips, causing him to gasp and his warm hands to plant themselves on her hips. They seared her, even through her dress, and she fought the shiver that rushed through her body.

Slowly, cautiously, Katara lifted the bottom of his mask up with both of her hands, revealing inch by tantalizing inch of his sharp jaw. Her eye flickered to the left side of his face, where she spotted the edge of a dark scar that she knew took up the rest of his cheekbone and eye socket. His hands snatched her wrists again, stopping her, and she was thrown back to the beach and the pirates that had surrounded her there.

_"I'll save you from the pirates."_

His breath came out of his parted lips haggardly, but so did hers. So she silenced it by kissing him.

He immediately sighed and his hands trembled as they tightened their grip on her wrists. She moved them back and cupped the exposed part of his face, and slowly he let her go and placed them tenderly back on her waist. His lips were a little dry, but not rough, and so timid it made Katara's heart surge. With shaking hands, she pushed his hood back as she deepened the kiss and her fingers tangled with the short strands of black hair that jutted out from his scalp and between the cloth straps of the mask. Her tongue dragged against his lower lip, eliciting a gasp. He responded by sliding his hands up to her shoulders blades to pull her closer to his chest. Then, one arm mirrored hers and his fingers threaded themselves through the loose waves that had curtained around them.

He tugged slightly, and she opened up. Slowly, as if he was unsure, he slid his tongue into her mouth and grazed hers with the tip. She shuddered at the sensation that swept through her, causing her hips to bear down on him. A gravelly groan was her reward, as was the pawing his hand started doing on her back as it headed down towards her butt. He palmed her entirely, causing her to rock down against him again and something hard grazed against the most sensitive part of her, causing her to break the kiss and cry out in surprise.

"S-sorry," he murmured as he planted his lips on her neck. It was the first thing he had said to her during this entire tryst. The first thing since she last saw him in the abandoned desert town and he shouted at her. Hearing him so... unhinged in the  _good_ way thrilled her all the way to her bones. She pulled his face back up to hers and kissed him hard again, quickly taking his lip within hers and giving him a slight suck. It earned her another low growl from deep in his chest.

Katara grinned against his lips and finished pushing his mask up all the way, opening her eyes right as his were revealed. After she pulled out of the kiss, they held their gazes for what felt like ages. She could see the uncertainty in the dark, molten gold, hesitant and afraid, but she did not falter. This may be the same boy who had relentlessly chased them from pole to pole, fighting to capture Aang and bring him to the Fire Nation, but he had also saved her life from a fate worse than she could ever imagine. He had never seriously hurt her, other than when she got knocked out in the Spirit Oasis, but she got her payback soon after.

The most harm he had done to her was keep her necklace and taunt her with his miniature conquest.

But here he was, eyes dark but oh so bright as they took her in without the obstruction of his mask. Her fingers trailed down the side of his unblemished cheek, marveling in the smoothness while the other, much more slowly, trailed down the scarred side. His eyes fluttered and she could practically feel his frantic heartbeat thrum under her fingertips, but she did not stop. When her palms came to rest on his jaw and her thumbs grazed the opposing sides of him, she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

"Zuko," she whispered against him, causing him to visibly shiver and tighten his arms around her.

His eyes closed entirely and he kissed her back, lips moving in a caress as he said, "Katara."

Another kiss, this time more drawn out and heated. She fought the thunderous beating of her heart as she broke away to murmur again,  _"Zuko..."_

His hand swept her hair to the side and he held it against her scalp, his blunt fingernails scraping against her. He licked his lips and breathed,  _"Katara..."_

They met again, pushing and pulling like tides, until they were both panting into each other's mouths and desperately clawing at the other's body to relieve some of the tension that was steadily building under the privacy of the willow branches. An ache settled deep in Katara's belly, one she knew was from arousal and stimulation, and she could suspect Zuko was feeling the same ache, based on how his hands were flittering between her ass and her ribs, right beneath her breasts as if he wanted more.

 _She_  wanted more.

Boldly, she bore herself down and ground her center against him. She could feel a solid heat underneath her, what she knew was his erection, and she felt her face flush at the implications. She did this to him, just like he had done this to her, and she reveled in it.

He let out a soft moan, low and deep in his chest, and he flexed his hips up to meet her, thrust for thrust. Right where his head was grazed against her at just the right angle that she was seeing stars, and her gasps and keening whines filled the air as she crawled closer and closer to climax.

Suddenly, Zuko stiffened beneath her and she heard him inhale sharply. For a split second, she thought he had already came, but when she broke away from the kiss she could see a fearful and concentrated look in his eyes as he looked over her shoulder towards the branches that kept them hidden.

"What-"

 _"Shh!"_ he hissed as he pulled his mask back down and started to lift her off of him. "Someone is coming."

Scrambling to her feet, Katara took his hand and stopped him from completely fleeing. "Who?"

Even though the mask was in place, she knew he was staring at her with that penetrating gaze that rocked her to her core. She ignored the throb of want between her legs as he muttered, "Don't know. I have to go."

As he made to flee, Katara tugged on his hand and kept him from leaving. "Please, can I see you again?"

Zuko froze and she could see his chest rising and falling with trembling breaths. She had done this to him, unraveling him and making him this mess of a man. Quickly and quietly, he rounded on her and lifted up his mask only enough to sweep her into a searing kiss, holding her close as he dipped down and poured everything into her. Katara was lost in the moment, her breath stolen as he tightened his hold on her.

_"HEY!"_

They broke apart and Zuko lowered the mask as they turned to whoever had entered their sanctuary, only to see Aang, Sokka, and Toph standing there, all three of them stunned at what they had just witnessed.

Like the wind, silent and swift, Zuko vanished from behind her and fled into the night, leaving her with the accusatory and disbelieving gazes of her friends. As Sokka gazed upon her in shock, Toph stared at her with what she could only pinpoint as confusion  _and_ understanding.

While, Aang... well his face could only be described as crestfallen and disappointed.

And heartbroken.

She had a long night of explaining ahead of her.

* * *

Zuko leapt over the last of the buildings in the Upper Ring before reaching the wall, his heart hammering up into his throat and racing so fast he was sure that if it had wings it would carry him over the wall and straight down to the Lower Ring where he belonged.

Or right into hell. That would work, too.

The clandestine meeting with Katara under the willow tree had been improvised, almost entirely. He had fought with himself for the whole night and most of the morning about whether or not he should go sneak into the Upper Ring and meet with her. After all, she was the Avatar's waterbender, and at that point in time, his enemy. He was still a Prince of the Fire Nation, and although he was banished and living in squalor in the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se, he was still the Crown Prince and Heir to the Dragon Throne. He couldn't be melting into putty in the arms of a peasant girl who was on the opposite side of the war as him.

Not when he still wanted to go back home.

But her eyes, oh her  _damned_  eyes, they saw right through him. Pinpointing every single weakness that he hid deep down in fear that they would be exploited. But she didn't do that, no. She coaxed them, nurtured them. Made him feel like the honor that he swore by was  _good,_ not weak or inferior to the blood lust he was raised to believe was right. Just one simple kiss undid him, broke down those walls that he so meticulously built up to prevent himself from failing and getting hurt again. She did that to him, and now he couldn't get enough.

He slid down the sloped roof of a home and crouched right on the gutter. Below was an unassuming cellar door, which he knew housed an ancient secret passage between the rings that he had used to get here and will be using to get back home. After all, how else would he have gotten up to the Upper Ring without being detained?

Once he was inside, he tore off his mask and scrubbed his face with his gloved hands. How on earth did that escalate so much? He never intended to let things go so far. He glanced down at himself and shivered when he remembered the weight of her body as it straddled him, how her womanhood had surrounded him so intimately without them actually touching. He groaned and felt himself twitch again.

He had to do something about it.

But not here.

Zuko raced through the tunnels, cutting down his traveling time in half at his break-neck pace, and soon arrived at the opening that led to the Lower Rings, right around the corner from his apartment. He panted as he pulled himself out of the hidden opening and out into the alley, and by the time he reached the balcony of their little apartment, he was dripping with sweat and his stirring arousal from earlier had vanished almost completely.

After taking a quick, freezing cold bath, he tip-toed to the kitchenette and grabbed the bread to make up for the meals he skipped throughout the entire day due to the anxiety over meeting Katara again. He took a few bites and chugged a bit of water, bitter at the fact that he was washing away her taste.

It had vaguely reminded him of peaches and mint, a strange combination if he thought about it. Though, Uncle would say it would be a great tea flavor, but he didn't have time for that. Her smell, however, was what he hated washing away the most. Whatever soap she used before meeting him, it was delightful: a light scent of jasmine and bergamot. He admitted begrudgingly to himself that it reminded him of the soaps he would use when he lived back in the Fire Nation. Even the clothes he had lent her had vaguely smelt of her mixed in with his own familiar scent -

Suddenly, he spit out all of the food into their little sink and slapped himself in the forehead. He left the bag of his things under that tree.

* * *

"I can explain-"

"Then you better start talking, missy!" Sokka exclaimed as he stomped his foot in a manner that Katara could only describe as condescending.

She sighed and rubbed her face, wondering if that was what she looked like when she scolded Aang or Toph for misbehaving. It was odd being on this side of the lecture. "It's not what it looked like, I promise."

"Oh, really?" Sokka scowled. "Because it looked like you were sucking face with a known criminal. Katara, I thought you knew better."

Her frown was just as deep as she replied, "I'm allowed to make my own decisions. I don't need your approval."

"I'm not saying you need it," Sokka countered, his voice starting to soften slightly, "but you can't go running off without telling any of us where you were going and not come home for hours. We were worried."

Katara's heart fell at the truth in his words and she dropped her gaze to the lush grass beneath her feet. "I'm sorry. I didn't think it would be that big of a deal. Or that I would be gone so long-"

"That explains why you were acting so weird earlier," Toph cut in, causing Katara to look up at her blind companion. Toph frowned and she cupped her jaw with her knuckles. "Your heart was racing like a mess when you got home this morning. And you smelled like sweat and dirt and someone else's clothes. I thought you got in a fight or something, which explains why you met up with that guy. You were giving him his stuff back."

Katara flushed, eyes darting to Sokka's paling face and Aang's even more upsetting expression. She didn't expect Toph to have been so observant, and her spot-on assumption made the situation seem worse than she thought.

With a sigh, she explained everything. How when she had been walking back from helping out in clinics in the Lower Ring, she had been caught in a scuffle with some thugs and they were trying to steal her money. With no water and her exhaustion from healing all day, they had easily taken her down and stole her off of the street. When she was being held in their apartment, the Blue Spirit came in and rescued her. In the fight, her clothes had been ripped up so he gave her a shirt and sent her on her way with a full waterskin.

How she wanted to repay him for saving her and give him back her stuff.

She left out the crucial details, like how she had almost been raped and he killed the men that touched her. How his burning touch made her yearn instead of squirm like those dirty men's had. How she found out that the Blue Spirit was Zuko all along and how they kissed and clawed at each other's bodies like desperate teenagers thrown into a century-old conflict they had no business being in.

How she asked to see him again.

Her eyes went to Aang and she whispered, "Aang?"

His frown deepened and he turned on his heel before marching out of the hidden grove beneath the tree. "Let's just go home."

A tear fell out of Katara's eye - _when had she started crying?_  - and she nodded as she made to follow the other's out of the sanctuary she found in the arms of her enemy. With one last glance to the tree, her heart stopped at the sight of the bag of his belongings still sitting where he had set it down.

Guess she had a legitimate reason to meet up with him again now.

* * *

Morning came and Katara was flustered to find out that Sokka had slept outside her door all night, as if he was afraid of her sneaking out again. Not like she couldn't climb out her window or anything.

"It's not like I know who he is or where he lives to go find him, Sokka!"

"You made out with a  _complete_  stranger?! That's even worse!"

Katara growled in frustration as she snatched the bag and a coin purse before stomping out of the house to go to the market. "You all are on your own for food today."

Their protests were met with a slammed door that she froze shut. She didn't want any of them following her today.

She made her way to the market, the need for retail therapy itching her all the way down to her bones, and she stopped at the closest cart that touted daggers and knives. She eyed the wares, not seeing any style that she would like or knew how to use. All of them were fancy, decorative knives that would fail catastrophically in battle. She had no use for them, so she moved on.

So much for therapy.

When she reached the produce area of the market, she was flagged down by a courier with a note. He handed it to her, then waited for her to read the message. She asked him why, and he said that the sender was waiting for a response.

So Katara opened it and was surprised to see her name in elegant, slanted letters.

Apparently, he worked in a tea shop. And he was offering her a free cup during his afternoon break.

She sent back a response, plus a tip for the courier, and made her way down to the Lower Ring. By the time she would make it there, it would be close to his break time and they could talk.

Hopefully somewhere private.

Luckily for her, the tea shop was rather quaint and nestled in a quiet street. Unluckily for her, the place was full of people clearly from all three rings. From behind, she could clearly see General Iroh serving a table while Zuko was at the register ringing up another customer. She had to suppress the giggle at the sight of him in an apron.

As the door closed behind her and the little bell above it rang, Iroh turned around to give her a greeting, but was stopped short when he completely took her in. His shock, however, was short-lived and his grin spread from ear to ear.

"Hello! Welcome!" he beamed as he approached her and took her hand. He led her to a booth near the register as he said, "It is always nice to see old friends. Why don't you take a seat and Li will serve you in just a short moment."

He met her eyes, a warning and a jest simultaneously in the golden depths, and she nodded as she slid into the seat. Katara watched as he shuffled to the counter, whispered something to Zuko, who then perked up and snapped his head over to her. She waved with her fingers, an awkward smile on her lips, and she was stunned to see his good cheek go a little pink before he ducked his head and hustled to the back room. Iroh looked over to her and gave her two thumbs up before following behind his nephew.

She couldn't contain the giggle this time.

A few minutes later, he came out sans the apron and beckoned her to follow him. He led her to a door on the side of the building that fed into a deserted alleyway. There, she saw a table that was already set with a pot and two cups, plus a little plate of tea cakes. Her smile at the gesture was hard to contain as she sat across from him.

Here, in the light of daytime and the lack of disguise, Zuko seemed very different. She could see he had lost weight, but that was noticeable back when they last clashed in that desert town, and his hair was grown out even more. Still short, but not sticking out like he had been electrocuted or something. His eyes were softer, but still wary as he took in her appearance in the sunlight, as well.

"So..." she trailed off and her fingers fidgeted on the bag on her lap again.

Zuko silently went to pour their tea, his actions fluid and practiced. She watched with intrigue when he finished pouring it without a drop falling out of either cup, and she wondered if he had practice pouring tea before his days as a server in the Lower Ring.

"I'm sorry."

Her eyebrows shot up with confusion and she replied, "What?"

Zuko sighed and pushed her teacup towards her. "I'm sorry. For not telling you who I was. I thought you were going to run away and report us, so I thought it was better to keep my identity a secret."

Katara frowned and she cupped her hands around her cup. "You're not going to try to kill me, are you?"

He scowled and shook his head.

"And you're not going to try to capture Aang again?"

He looked away and his fingers drummed on the table. "I have no method of returning him to the Fire Nation, so there's no point."

She frowned as she went to take a sip. As the surprisingly tasteful tea slid down her tongue, she remembered how he had tasted, too. Her cheeks warmed and she fought to not choke. After swallowing quickly and setting down her cup, she grabbed the bag and handed it to him. "Don't forget it this time."

Although he kept his eyes away from hers, Katara could see Zuko's lips pull up into a wry smirk as he took it from her, his fingers grazing against hers in the process. "I'll try."

The silence stretched on for longer than Katara felt his break would last. But then again, it seemed like Iroh had a good handle on the customers up front and appeared to encourage them in sitting down and talking, so she figured they could be out here all night without interruption.

"Can you tell me now why you did it?"

She saw his good eye widen and he finally met her gaze, swirling and molten gold bright in the afternoon sun, and he nodded slowly. "There's... there are horrible people down here. I go out and let out some steam by roughing them up, stealing back the things they stole and stopping people from getting hurt. It's the only way I can survive down here without bending or blowing something up."

He inhaled heavily and dropped his eyes to the cup in front of him. "That night... I couldn't sit by and watch you get...  _tarnished_  by some grubby men with no morals. I would have done it for anyone, but since it was  _you_ I felt more... driven... to hurt them."

Katara couldn't help the frown that pulled at her lips when she set down her cup. "I don't understand. We've been enemies for as long as we've known each other."

Zuko rose his eyes to her again and he pinned her down with that simple stare. "That doesn't mean I can sit by and watch a good person get hurt. And even then, you've still shown me kindness and mercy, even if I rejected it. You wouldn't have let me save you if you knew who I was, so that's why I didn't want to reveal myself. You're smart and figured it out, so I couldn't deny it anymore."

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "We're done chasing the Avatar. After we were declared fugitives, it's become futile to even try. We're trying to make a new life here, and I'm trying my hardest to keep it that way.  _He_  deserves it more than anything, after all I put him through."

Katara nodded in understanding and reached across the table to take his hand. "I won't tell the others that you're here. I promise."

Zuko turned his hand over and wove their fingers together. This was the first time she felt them without the barrier of clothing, and she was a little surprised to feel that they were warm and a little rough, calloused from gripping his swords and living off the land since the beginning of the season. Though they were still soft as they held her as reverently as he did the other night. The gesture made her heart flip as that wry grin spread on his lips again when he replied, "The Avatar already knows who I am, so he knows we're here now. Just tell him we won't bother him if he doesn't bother us."

That admission came as quite a shock and she'd have to confront Aang about that later, considering it explained his behavior the night before. But that wasn't a priority in her head right now. The man in front of her and his open honesty was. Her smile spread as she gently squeezed his fingers. "I can do that."

There was a genuine look of relief when he met her eyes. "Thank you."

She reluctantly removed her hand from his and went to take another drink of the tea, all while keeping an eye on him. This was a whole new territory, like treading in waters that had once been infested with tigersharks. Zuko's teeth weren't as sharp, but he could be just as ruthless.

No, not this Zuko. This Zuko had soft eyes, albeit a little haggard and still angry and tired, but when he looked at her it was a complete change from the hard fire she had seen there in the North Pole. Underneath the anger and bitterness was a teenaged boy who yearned to be touched, just like the teenaged girl in her.

"I know you have to go back to work, but what time do you get off?" she asked, causing him to perk up and raise his lone eyebrow in a silent question. She squirmed under his intense piercing gaze. "I want to see you again."

Zuko swallowed and blinked a few times, the darkening of his eyes either a trick of her mind or the light. "I should be off around sundown. I can escort you back to the Middle Ring then, if you'd like."

She shook her head and braced herself. This was why she came back down to see him, drawn in by the touch of his hands and lips and yearning for more. With a resolute shake of her head, she replied, "Actually, I was hoping to pick up where we left off last night."

The way his face reddened was admittedly adorable, and Katara embraced the boldness she felt around him and stood. As she rounded the table, Zuko kept his eyes on her, wide and sharp, until she extended her hand to him. "Tonight?"

Zuko took her hand, slow and careful, and he stood. Now, in the light of the setting sun, Katara could see all of the similarities that made Zuko and the Blue Spirit one and the same. It made her heart rush.

"No. Now."

Without warning, Zuko swept her into a fierce kiss and spun her around so he could press her back against the wall. He trapped their clasped hands between their bodies and his free hand planted itself against the wall right next to her hair. Katara clutched at his shoulder, desperate to ground herself, and shuddered into the kiss when he pressed his hips against hers.

As if they had quite literally picked up where they left off, Zuko hoisted her up so her legs were wrapped around his hips and he pressed himself against her suddenly aching center. She gasped against his lips and he quickly silenced her by thrusting his tongue into her mouth. Katara shivered at the sensations coursing through her body and clawed at his back.

One of Zuko's rough hands palmed her through her shirt, brushing against her stiffening nipple and she choked on the moan that erupted through her. Every sensation had been heightened, spinning out of control as he stimulated every single nerve ending that would bring her to a climax.

Though she could tell he was going purely by instincts at this point. The way his hands shook and his closed eyes still revealed some sort of confused desperation clued her in.

Slowly, Zuko began grinding himself up into her, a little jerky and still unsure but hitting the right spot nonetheless. Katara felt the sparks dancing through her skin at every thrust, starting at her center and branching out all the way to her fingers and toes every time his erection pressed against her.

His lips tore away from hers and latched onto her neck, biting and licking and kissing in time with his rhythmic grinds. As her arms wrapped around his shoulders and she exhaled unevenly, Zuko untucked her dress just enough so he could slide his hand underneath her wrappings. He cupped her breast and his thumb dragged against her nipple, causing her to sigh his name and drop her head back against the brick of the building.

She rolled her hips in time with his, causing him to bite down and gasp against her skin. His grip on her waist was starting to get harder and he sped up, then he soothed the bite with a roll of his tongue.

Katara thought vaguely to herself that Zuko's teeth definitely weren't as sharp as a tigershark's, but they were just as dangerous.

Zuko's thumbnail dragged over her nipple and she let out another cry. He used his free hand to cup the back of her head and force her to look down into his eyes. Dark, glowing gold filled her vision, overwhelming every other color until it was all she could see. They kept up their grinding, rough and fast, and Katara started feeling the inevitable tightening in her lower abdomen that told her an orgasm was near.

Her small cries and moans spurred him on, their tempo quickening and becoming more and more frenzied.

But her eyes did not leave his.

Zuko took his hand out of her shirt and palmed her ass, guiding her so she could speed up as well. The cool air hit her chest and she shivered at his touch. He surrounded her, encased her with his entire being, and she was lost in those eyes as he ground against her in just the right spot and she tumbled over the crest and came.

He silenced her cries with his lips, speeding up to prolong her orgasm just enough until he hit his peak and groaned into her mouth.

Slowly, he sank to his knees and brought her with him. They both caught their breaths, foreheads pressed to the others shoulders. Katara wound her arms around his neck and pulled him close, ignoring the throb between her legs when he brushed against her again. He sighed and nuzzled his face against the juncture of her neck and shoulder, his breath as hot as the hands that rubbed her back affectionately.

Vaguely, Katara realized that the sun was starting to set as the sky turned those magnificent colors that reminded her of his fire. Zuko must have noticed it too, because he sighed and pulled away from her embrace with a grimace and guilty glance towards the tea shop.

"Uncle is going to kill me," he muttered, mostly to himself. Then, he brought his gaze to her and lowered his voice a pitch more, "Or maybe not."

Katara frowned and played with the hairs at the nape of his neck. "Why would you say that?"

Zuko ran his hands up and down her sides as he cast his gaze back to the entrance of the alleyway, conflict clear in the scarred eye that she faced, and he sighed, "Uncle has been wanting me to consider my stance for a long time. I suspected it back when he tried to teach me how to bend lightning, and he keeps subtly hinting that we should seek you all out. I've been against it."

"Why the change of heart?" she couldn't help but ask.

Zuko leveled his eyes with hers and rose his single eyebrow, silently conveying his reasoning. At her own silence, he sighed again and dropped his hands to her hips. She tried not to memorize the way they fit against her so easily and listened to him as he spoke softly, "It's not a change of heart, just... a change of circumstance. I can't go home unless I bring the Avatar with me-"

She scowled and he gave her a quick, reassuring squeeze before continuing, "But I have no means nor drive to do it. That or I can defect entirely and fight against my father and sister and all of my people, which I'd prefer not doing. Staying here with Uncle is the only option I have, so I'm dealing."

"You can do so much more than just deal," she plead softly, causing a troubled look to cross his face. She cupped his jaw in her hands, carefully laying her fingers against his scar. "Aang still needs a firebending teacher-"

Zuko's eyes widened and he looked like he was about to adamantly deny and refuse, but she silenced him with a soft kiss. When she pulled away, he pulled his lower lip between his teeth and she took that as her cue to keep talking.

"He's still working on earthbending and waterbending, but eventually he  _will_  need to learn firebending in order to fight the Fire Lord."

A dark look crossed Zuko's face and he muttered, "My father. Do you really expect me to aid some kid in defeating my father?"

Katara frowned and removed her hands from his face, settling them on his shoulders as she retorted, "The same father that apparently has to restore your honor in order for you to go home? All I have heard about you is that you're banished and now a fugitive. Do you really want to aid someone who willingly cast away their child?"

She noticed a little too late that her hips were getting abnormally hot and his face had contorted into the look of rage she saw when they fought. Fear suddenly gripped at her heart and she sat back until she hit the wall, then her hands went to her waterskin on her hip.

"Calm down, Zuko."

He blinked a few times before jerking his hands away from her like  _she_ had burned  _him_ , then looked down at his palms like they had acted on their own. For a long moment, the silence was tense and Katara almost completely forgot about what they had just done together moments ago. It wasn't until Zuko sighed again and slouched, his forehead dropping onto her shoulder, and he loosely wrapped his arms around her waist. Katara hesitantly let herself relax into his hold, shoving aside the knee-jerk reaction to his fire, and rested her arms gently on his shoulders.

"You don't have to make a decision right now," she murmured against his hair. She took in the smell of his shampoo - the source of the orange blossom, she realized - and pressed her cheek against the crown of his head. "We're going to be in Ba Sing Se until we find Appa. And who knows how long that will take. But if we leave, I'll come find you. And figure out what you want to do."

When he didn't reply, Katara made to stand. He followed her, adjusting himself and covering up the wet spot from their tryst, and sighed when they both straightened entirely. He kept his eyes averted, but he did take her hand and lead her back inside to the tea shop. Iroh had already closed up and was sweeping, his head rising and a grin forming when he saw the two hand in hand.

"I'm going to walk her home," Zuko declared softly, surprising both Katara and Iroh. "Will you be alright closing up on your own?"

The seasoned general merely smiled and nodded before replying, "Of course, my nephew."

Zuko made to lead Katara out of the shop, but Iroh stopped her and handed her a little slip of paper. On one side, a coupon for a free pot of tea. On the other, was an address. When she met Iroh's eyes, he smiled again and went back to his sweeping without any explanation.

The irritated look on Zuko's face told Katara that he would be telling her the significance once they got outside.

The walk to the gates at the Middle Ring was long and tense. She would have been eager to speak with him more, but he was hellbent on remaining quiet until she reached the gates. By the time they loomed in front of them, the sun had dipped beneath the horizon and stars were starting to pop up in the sky like little fireflies.

It was crazy to think that two nights ago she had thought of Zuko as her enemy still and she had almost been raped by some thugs.

"Zu-"

"It's Li, now," he cut in softly, his eye flashing over his shoulder as they slowed down near a fountain by the gate. When he turned around, he still kept his eyes averted, but now they were pinned on the paper in her hand. "The coupon is only good if you have a full table."

"Full...?"

That wry grin returned - oh, how handsome he was when he wasn't scowling and raging - and he said humorlessly, "Four people is a full table."

Understanding swept through her and she looked back down at the coupon. Iroh wanted all of them to sit down and have some tea, and discuss some things. Her eyes lifted back to the firebender's and she then asked, "And the address?"

Even in the lessening light, she could see Zuko's cheek turn a little red. He rubbed the back of his neck and replied, "My... apartment. If you want to visit and we aren't working."

Katara couldn't help the smile as she stood on her toes and gave him another soft kiss. The stunned look on his face was enough to settle her dreams for the next week and she passed him to head towards the gate. Over her shoulder, she called out, "I'll come find you. I promise."

A soft smile, just for her, came from the banished Fire Nation Prince, and he placed his hand over his heart as if he was giving her a private promise, as well. She beamed back to him, then finally turned away as she headed towards the gate and flashed her papers to the guards. After she passed through, she turned to give Zuko one last lingering look, and was unsurprised to see he had already vanished.

Such was the nature of the Blue Spirit.

* * *

_fin._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeeeeeey look what I did? I couldn't keep this little story hanging, so here's part 2 of The Nature of the Blue Spirit! Also this part is much more story-driven as opposed to the smut from the first part. But there's still some at the end.

 

* * *

"Katara... are you sure about this?"

Blue eyes went to the sign above the doors and a secretive smile spread across her face. "Of course. After all, they gave me a coupon."

Sokka frowned and tucked the last of their fliers into his pack, then put his arm around his sister's shoulders. "Think about what you're doing, Katara. You're basically handing Aang over to two Fire Nation royals who have been hell-bent on capturing him for the past half year. We need to be careful."

Katara all but shoved her brother away and scowled at him. "We  _need_  to keep an open mind. Zu - I mean,  _Lee_  told me that they were starting over here. They have no intention of capturing Aang and don't plan on leaving any time soon. They're just as much of an enemy to the Fire Nation as we are at this point in time, so what's the point of losing what they've built here?"

"I'm totally game," Toph said as she butted her head between the siblings and added, "Besides, Uncle makes the best tea. So I would love a free cup."

"' _Uncle?!'"_ Sokka gasped, confused and outraged at the same time. His voice was a stage whisper as he declared in confusion, "You call General Iroh  _'Uncle?!'"_

Toph chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "An honor I received for having tea with him in the middle of the wilderness."

Sokka groaned with exasperation, then two pairs of blue eyes went to Aang, who was still mulling it over with a thoughtful look on his face. When he realized they were all looking at him, he shrugged and sent them his typical lopsided grin. "I  _do_  love tea."

With the issue being settled, Katara strode across the street and opened the door to the tea shop. Inside, every table was full except the one she sat at when she first came to visit. Iroh spotted them immediately as they walked in, his eyes widening only fractionally before he grinned that jovial grin of his.

"Hello again, friends! It is always so good to see a familiar face," he said in his gravelly yet bright voice as led them to the table. Zuko was nowhere to be seen, but then again the shop was awfully busy and he could have easily been in the back making more of those delicious tea cakes. Iroh clutched his empty tea pot to his chest as they all scooted into their seats. "My nephew will be out in a moment to take your order. I assume you brought your coupon?"

Katara nodded and pulled it out of her pocket, causing Iroh's grin to grow.

"Wonderful," he exclaimed in a way that Katara felt he would have jubilantly clapped his hands had he not been holding a teapot. "I will be sure to make sure yours is my best blend."

Without another word, he was swept away to take another order and go to the back. Katara met Sokka's eyes and the flabbergasted look in his stare almost made her laugh, had Zuko not come out from the backroom and finally noticed their arrival.

It had been a couple of weeks since she last saw him when he walked her to the Middle Ring, and it was noticeable. His hair now grew out into an awkward shag that barely skimmed his eyebrows and there was more mass to the muscles that had thinned during his days on the run. The harshness of his typical scowl had softened slightly, enough that he looked even more  _handsome_ , and it made Katara's heart to a strange little flip as her cheeks got a little warm. It didn't help that she suddenly remembered their last encounter - the part up against the wall and all - and her stomach fluttered with anticipation. He met her gaze, all molten and bright, and he froze. His eyes darted from her to her friends, then they widened before he swiftly spun on his heels and went back into the backroom.

Toph snorted. "Guess Uncle didn't warn him?"

"Good," Sokka sniffed as he dug his fingernail against the grains in the wood of the table. "Let him sweat."

"Sokka, give him a chance," Aang chastised softly as he met Katara's gaze. He smiled at her before adding, "If Katara trusts them, I'm sure there's a good reason for it."

Katara gave Aang a grateful smile, which he returned with a wide grin. Moments later, Zuko was exiting the backroom as if he was being pushed out. The plump hands that Katara saw retreating from his back told her that was exactly what happened. Zuko scowled at the curtain, then readjusted the full tray in his hands before all-but stomping over to their table.

After all, there were pretenses to be kept and acting as if they were still enemies would not be a good look for the lowly tea servers in the Lower Ring.

Gingerly, Zuko silently placed a pot and four cups with saucers on the table. His finesse was actually pretty impressive, considering the blank - if not stern - look on his face. The tea was poured into each cup - a little humbly, Katara noted - and a basket of tea cakes was placed between Sokka and Toph.

With a bow, Zuko murmured, "Please enjoy."

When he straightened, he met her gaze again for a fleeting second before spinning on his heels like the sailor he was and practically scurrying to the backroom. She would had laughed at his awkwardness had Sokka not beat her to the punch with a low whistle.

"Must be a kick in the ego having to serve tea when it was once served to you on a gilded platter," he said, a little too loudly for her tastes.

A crash from the backroom told her that it had been just loud enough. The sound of a slamming door was too close behind to be a coincidence, and Iroh came shuffling out of the backroom with another tray and an appeasing smile on his face.

He reached their table and gave a small but humble bow. "I apologize for my nephew's behavior. He has been feeling under the weather as of late, so his already-short temper has been much more testy. Please enjoy these meat buns on the house as a part of our apology."

As he set the basket down, Sokka quickly snatched one of the buns and gave it a sniff. "These aren't...  _special_  meat buns, are they?"

Iroh's eyes glittered as he replied, "The only reason they are special is because they were made with  _love."_

Without another word, he moved to one of the other tables to take care of them. Katara watched as the seasoned general poured more tea with a flourish, to which compliments from all over were heard loud and clear. Even when she took a sip, a burst of pleasant and light flavor hit her tongue. When Iroh passed again, she was about to give him another compliment to add to his repertoire when a well-dressed man - clearly from the Upper Ring - all but slammed his cup down on his table with a jubilant smile on his face.

"This tea is magnificent!" he exclaimed, causing Iroh to turn to him in surprise. The man turned to him and asked, "So, you're the genius behind this incredible brew. The whole city is buzzing about you! I hope Pao pays you well."

Iroh gave him a slight bow and replied genuinely, "Good tea is its own reward."

The man's eyebrows went up slightly - suggestively, really - and he presented Iroh with a gold coin. "But it doesn't have to be the  _only_  reward. How would you like to have your own tea shop?"

Katara swore Iroh would have dropped the teapot in his hands had he not cherished the tea inside so much. "My own tea shop? This is a dream come true!"

She chose not to eavesdrop anymore, instead turning back to her friends and smiling as they enjoyed their tea and, in Sokka's enthusiastic case, meat buns. A few moments later, an apron-less Iroh came to their table and gave them all a short bow.

"Thank you all for coming," he told them with an earnest smile. "We will still honor your coupon, and when my own tea shop is opened I will send word to you all so you can be our esteemed guests."

Sokka then leaned forward, only after swallowing his fourth meat bun, and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the old royal. "How can we be certain it isn't a trap?"

Iroh smiled as if he was expecting that question and said quietly, "My nephew and I are simple refuges from the war the Fire Nation has waged. I can assure you that we mean no harm to the Avatar and his friends, and will not in the future. There is nowhere for us to go but here."

Sokka took another bite, chewing thoughtfully, then swallowed loudly before he shrugged and said, "Seems legitimate to me. After all, what kind of enemy would give me my favorite food?"

Iroh's smile grew and he bowed his head gratefully. "A peace offering, in a way. Made by my nephew, in fact. Where he lacks in tea-making skills, he makes up in his baking."

Katara watched as Sokka slowed his chewing for a split second. She was afraid that he would spit it out and then never touch another bun, but she was pleasantly surprised when he merely shrugged and washed down the food with more tea. With a smile, she looked to Iroh and said, "Congratulations on the tea shop offer, by the way. Though it's a shame  _Lee_ wasn't here to get the good news."

He nodded. "Lee had to... get some fresh air. All of the fumes from the tea was making him light-headed. I'll be sure to extend your greetings to him and perhaps convince him to apologize to you in person for his hasty departure."

Katara couldn't help but grin in mirth, because she knew that it would mean that Zuko would likely be visiting her that night in his Blue Spirit guise as if Iroh was pulling him by his ear all the way up to the Upper Ring. "I look forward to seeing him again."

Iroh bid them farewell with a wide smile, then left the teashop with the sounds of his former boss's pleas for him to return were drowned out by his discussion with his new business partner. Good for him, she decided. Based on what Zuko told her, Iroh deserved his own shop. And with the way his tea tasted, she was sure he was bound to have incredible success up in the Upper Ring.

Plus, that meant Zuko would be closer to her.

"Let's get going," Sokka declared after he finished up his meat buns. "We still have half of those fliers to put up."

Katara followed the others out of the shop, leaving a slight tip for Pao's troubles, and took the proffered stack of fliers from Aang before heading out to put them on the walls of the Lower Ring.

* * *

A flier fell from the sky, practically landing quite literally in his lap from where he sat on the top of an abandoned portico, and Zuko frowned when his eyes scanned the words on the page. He had known the Avatar's bison, Appa, was missing. Katara told him. But the fact that they had been in the city for over a month and they hadn't gotten any help spelled trouble for them.

His eyes flickered up to the rooftops where he saw a robed man running by. A Dai Li agent. Perhaps they knew something.

Zuko fought the smirk was twitched the corner of his lips and stood. The peacekeepers in Ba Sing Se would  _definitely_  know something. The stench of corruption was stinging his nose, and he was aching to get to the bottom of it.

He strode back to the apartment, careful to watch his steps in case he was being followed - or Spirits-forbid, was discovered like he had almost been with Jet - and slipped back into the building complex without much fanfare. Iroh was already inside and it looked like he was starting to pack up their meager belongings.

"Nephew!" he greeted with a wide grin.

"Uncle," Zuko replied as he rose his lone eyebrow with his added question, "What's going on?"

"Oh, that is right," Iroh stated as he stood and made his way to the stove to stir some sort of food cooking there. "We are no longer working for Pao-"

" _What?"_ Zuko blinked a few times in surprise. His heart started to flutter in panic as his mind immediately went to Katara and her friends and he instantly concluded they had ousted them to Pao and now they were going to have to flee Ba Sing Se-

"It's not like that, nephew," Iroh broke into his thoughts, his voice taking on a soothing quality. "I know where your mind is going, and your lovely friend did not get us into trouble. On the contrary, a man named Quon has offered to become my business partner and open a teashop that I would own in the Upper Ring."

Zuko's heart did not cease its racing, but he relaxed slightly. "Oh."

Iroh merely grinned at his understated reaction, and Zuko surmised it was because he understood Zuko's lack of empathy towards Iroh's tea-related dreams. That, or it was because Zuko nearly had a panic attack and didn't have the emotional capacity to express his pride towards his uncle's achievement after expending all his emotions just moments ago.

"I was thinking about names for my new tea shop. How about the Jasmine Dragon? It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it."

Zuko shook his head, breaking himself from his thoughts and seeing Iroh had moved back to the table to pack up more things. He took a deep breath to steady himself and refrained from snipping back, instead he revealed the flier and stated, "The Avatar has lost his bison."

Iroh's smile fell and he took the flier, reading its contents, before sighing and placing it face-down on the table. "We have a chance for a new life here. If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us."

Zuko was staring out the window, eyes lost towards the Upper Ring, and he replied, "I won't stir trouble."

"For some reason, I do not believe you, nephew," Iroh claimed with that skeptical look in his eyes. "There is nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity. I suggest you think about what it is that you want from your life and why."

Zuko did not grace him with a response. Instead, he went straight to his room and shut the door behind him. Quietly, he padded over to his bed and reached between the futon and the frame, then pulled out a bundle of fabric. He unraveled it slowly, revealing more and more blue as the black was discarded onto the floor. When his eyes met the empty glare and wide grin of the Blue Spirit, he finally let his lips pull into a smaller smirk.

All he would have to do was wait for night.

Luckily for him, Iroh slept like a rock and didn't notice when he slipped through the window in the kitchen with an extra sack of fabric that he had been tending to all afternoon - holed up in his room like the grumpy teenager he knew he was appearing to be. He climbed from the balcony to the roof, carefully shifting his package so it was more secure, then sped off. He ran from building to building, careful to keep his steps light and rounded, and quickly slipped down the wall of a building to hide in an alley.

There, he set up his trap. A grin mirroring his glared back at him, then he nodded before darting off. There was bound to be at least one Dai Li agent skulking nearby, so no matter where he ran he knew he'd be able to rope one in to his trap.

Not even ten minutes into his stalking around the block did he find an agent monitoring the street. Quickly, Zuko darted past him and shouted, "Out of my way, skinny!"

He heard the man gasp in surprise and shift to attack with his bending, but Zuko was quick to dart around the corner to the alley that held his trap. He dodged the decoy and hid behind a pile of empty crates, and waited.

He heard footsteps ring into the alleyway, then the distinct sound of a rock glove shooting through the air to hit his decoy. He watched the head of the fake Blue Spirit get forcibly separated from the hay-stuffed body and land further down the alleyway. The Dai Li agent passed his hiding place, still on guard, then as he observed the damage to the stuffed head with confusion, Zuko slipped out of his shelter and unsheathed his Dao swords.

The sword sidled up to the man's neck and Zuko pressed his chest against his back. As lowly as he could, he muttered in the man's ear, "If you don't want to end up like him, you'll do what I say."

It seemed the Dai Li agent was more interested in living than betraying his employer, so rather than fighting a peace-disturber like Zuko he quickly told him everything he wanted to know, including the location of Appa and the Dai Li's involvement in its capture.

"Lead me there," Zuko ordered as he pressed the blade a little closer to the man's throat.

"T-to Lake Laogai?" he asked incredulously, though he started walking when Zuko shoved him to move. They continued for a few moments in silence, moving deeper into the bowels of the Lower Ring, until the Dai Li agent spoke again, "Even if I get you there, once you're in, you'll be caught."

Zuko smirked under his mask. "You underestimate my skills, earthbender."

"What's in it for you,  _thief_?" the man spat as they turned a corner towards an open courtyard.

"Let's just say I have a vested interest in an asset within the walls," Zuko hissed. They stopped in the center of the courtyard and for the length of five breaths, neither of them moved. "Why are we here?"

"If you let me go, I will show you," the earthbender replied.

Zuko scoffed. "Unlikely."

"There is a passage," the man quickly added. "This is where the bison was captured to be transported to the headquarters."

Zuko mulled over the information for a long minute before he relaxed his grip and dropped his swords. "If you're lying, I'll leave your head in your lap with your guts as a crown. Got it?"

He could actually hear the man swallow as he stepped forward and did the motions to move the earth out of the way. A passage revealed itself, dark and narrow, and Zuko pinned a disbelieving stare - well, as best as he could with his mask - at the man.

"You can't honestly think I would believe the Avatar's flying bison fit down there."

"This is the opening for the Dai Li," the earthbender remarked. "Once you're down there, you will see."

Zuko frowned behind his mask and poked the man with the tip of his sword. "Lead the way, then."

The Dai Li agent made his way through the hole - not without a fearful look at his captor - and Zuko swiftly followed. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he was greeted with an eerie green light that lit up the entire tunnel - a wide and tall space that would have certainly fit the Avatar's bison. The man led the way, fearfully glancing back at Zuko every few minutes.

Zuko narrowed his eyes and focused on his surroundings. "You have a name, earthbender?"

The man seemed surprised that Zuko even asked him that sort of question, but he quickly shook off his shock before answering, "Ling. My name is Ling."

"Okay, Ling," Zuko rolled his name on his tongue, remembering his face and his name for the future. "If the Dai Li have custody of the Avatar's bison, why hasn't he been informed of such? He  _is_ the Avatar, after all."

"There is no war in Ba Sing Se," Ling replied immediately, a practiced response. "If the Avatar knew we had his bison, then more and more people within the walls would be aware of the war outside. His mere existence in the city is foreboding to the balance we have painstakingly kept within the walls for the past century."

"There are refugees starving every day within the Lower Ring," Zuko countered with a bitter taste. "Others dying of illnesses from the unsanitary conditions or overcrowding. The people in the Lower Rings are all too aware of the war, so why keep denying it?"

Ling seemed to swallow thickly and guilt seemed to tighten his shoulders. "To be honest, not all of us agree with Long Feng's methods, but we understand why things must be done the way they are done. The Avatar has done nothing wrong yet, but in order to prevent mass chaos within the city we have to ensure that he does not fall out of line. His bison is collateral."

Zuko's scowl pulled even more on his lips. "That sounds a lot like oppression to me."

"Is it?" Ling questioned as he turned a corner, Zuko following closely still. "Are we any worse than the Fire Nation, who kill and maim people, even their  _own_  people, in order to enslave the whole world?"

His left eye twitched and he fought the urge to press the ruined skin underneath his mask.

"We are the last true stronghold against the Fire Nation's regime. What we do has worked for one hundred years, and will work for a hundred more."

Zuko gritted his teeth and refused to snarl and release fire from his tightened lips. "Denying the truth doesn't change the facts. One way or another, the war will reach the inner walls. And getting on the Avatar's bad side will be your downfall, believe me."

He tried not to think of the worrying sensation of that statement applying to himself more so than to Ling and the Earth Kingdom.

Ling stopped at the entrance of a wider hallway. He looked both ways before turning and looking down at Zuko. "I cannot condone what my superiors have done, but I also cannot challenge nor change it. Though I hope that our discussion has made you change your own mind in regards to what we have done and will do in the future to protect the people of the Earth Kingdom."

Zuko lowered his sword slightly and cocked his head to the side in a frustrated question. "You don't seem to resistant to bringing me here. Why?"

Ling looked over his left shoulder and a torn look crossed his face. "Sometimes, an attempt to sway another's opinion changes your own instead."

He considered letting Ling flee, but he knew that it would be unwise to let him run off and possibly alert someone else of Zuko's presence within the stronghold. Regretfully, he quickly knocked Ling's conical hat off of his head and slammed the pommel of his sword against Ling's temple. The surprise was not lost on the earthbender's face, even as he crumpled to the ground in an unconscious heap. Zuko quickly snagged the hat off the stone floor and tossed it back into the hall that they had emerged from and dragged Ling by his feet into the shadows.

"I apologize for this," he murmured sincerely. "Though I truly am grateful for your help."

With that, he bolted down the hall that Ling had looked down in his moment of vulnerable reflection. His footsteps barely echoed down the halls, quieter than leaves hitting grass, and he rounded a corner just to spot a door at the end of the hall that was guarded by two men. He cursed under his breath when they spotted him, so he quickly darted over to them - deflecting their earth gloves in the process with the swords in his hands- and he quickly took them out with a kick to one head and a hard shove against the wall to the other.

He caught his breath, only sparing a moment, before he pushed open the door they had been guarding and stepped inside. Shackled to the floor - and clearly dirty and unfed - was the Avatar's bison, Appa. The sound of the door closing alerted him enough to look over and take in his rescuer's appearance.

"Expecting someone else?"

Appa groaned, a deep rumbling sound he recognized from the cold months he spent chasing it, and Zuko approached it cautiously. He seemed to size Zuko up before standing and lashing against his bonds. His roar was weak, but still deep and loud as it rang around his prison chamber.

"Calm down," he hissed. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm going to get you out."

The bison stopped his thrashing and stared at him with those big cow eyes. After a long moment, he sank back down to the floor with a pitiful grumble. Zuko grinned to himself and approached the bison's flank. His fur was matted and knotty, not to mention he seemed thinner than he had been before. Zuko was familiar with that plight of fleeing for one's life.

"Now how to get you out of here..."

The sound of the door opening again caused Zuko to whirl around, swords at the ready, and stare down his potential attacker. After all, he had been a little clumsy taking care of the guards outside. For all he knew, more could have come already and saw their fallen comrades.

What he did not expect was Iroh stepping in and closing the door behind him.

"Uncle?"

Iroh cupped his chin in faux introspective commentary and remarked casually, "So, the Blue Spirit. I wonder who could be behind that mask..."

Zuko sighed, knowing what he was playing at, and removed his mask. "What are you doing here?"

Iroh frowned with disappointment - truly for the first time since Zuko had been banished - and replied, "I was just about to ask you the same thing."

Zuko looked back at Appa, who's big eyes were locked on him in what he could only pinpoint as apprehension. He had every right to be afraid, Zuko mused. But not this time...

"What do you plan to do now that you've found the Avatar's bison?" Iroh continued, as if he did not see Zuko's inner thoughts. "Keep him locked in our new apartment? Should I go put on a pot of tea for him?"

"First I have to get it out of here-"

"And then what?!" Iroh cut in sharply, causing Zuko to flinch. He had never heard Iroh raise his voice like this. Chills ran down his spine and his heart seized in panic as it reminded him of - "You never think these things through! This is exactly what happened when you captured the Avatar at the North Pole! You had him, and then you had nowhere to go!"

Zuko fought his grimace as he turned his back completely to his Uncle, his stare hard and focused on Appa's bound feet as he got defensive and hard. "I would have figured something out!"

"No!" Zuko fought the flinch at the shout this time. "If his friends hadn't found you, you would have frozen to death!"

When Zuko didn't reply, instead clenching his fists as hard as he clenched his teeth, Iroh took a step towards him and placed his hand on Zuko's shoulder. "I know you are focused on what you consider your destiny, but I want you to consider this: is it your own destiny, or is it a destiny someone else has tried to force on you?"

His hands were shaking. Despite his claims - despite his  _promise_ \- he had the chance. He could go home, he could leave this  _sewer_  behind. Return to the Fire Nation, return to his father as a proud son. Get his life back to a semblance of normalcy, at least as much as he could considering...

"Stop it, Uncle."

"I'm begging you, Prince Zuko!" Iroh plead softly, yet deafening in his roaring ears. It was the first time someone had called him a Prince in a very long time. That thought alone almost made Zuko break. "It's time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions. Who are you, and what do  _you_  want?"

His hands were outright shaking now, trembling like he was a leaf in the wind, and Zuko's heart threatened to burst from his chest. His outrage, his grief, his pain, his desolation all culminated at once and erupted from his heart. With a shout, Zuko threw his swords and mask to the ground, followed by his knees.

* * *

It all happened so fast: Jet getting hurt, rushing out of the hideout underneath Lake Laogai, Appa finding them when they were surrounded by Dai Li agents. Katara's heart couldn't handle any more of the past few hours, and surely she was going to pass out from exhaustion after running all over Ba Sing Se to find Appa.

Though finding a note scribbled on what appeared to be paper torn from a book broke her from her exhausted daze. It addressed to her and attached to his horn. While they were resting on a small island in the middle of Lake Laogai, she unfurled the ripped paper and read its contents:

_"He needs food and a bath. I will be in touch._ _"_

Her heart stuttered in her chest and she spun around to look at Appa. Aang was currently hugging his nose, his own face pressed into the dense fur, and Katara was able to see what the note had been referring to: Appa's fur was matted and dirty, and he seemed thinner, even clear through his massive coat.

But they had some important things to take care of, first.

Meeting with the Earth King was a hassle, but successful. Afterwards, once Long Feng had been arrested and the corruption and cover-up were revealed, Katara sat down in Long Feng's office with Aang, Sokka, and Toph, where General How had given them all information that Long Feng had apprehended. As they discussed their next plans, the letter that had been tied to Appa's horn weighed heavily in her pocket. She ran her hand over it, mulling it over as Sokka and Aang started talking out what needed to happen in order for their plans for the eclipse to unfold properly.

Had  _Zuko_  freed Appa from the Dai Li's hold? It was his handwriting on the note, but there was no telling clues other than the faint similarity to the words that had been printed on the back of the coupon. But why would he have freed Appa? And how did he figure it out and get there before they had?

She had so many questions that she yearned to get answered, but with the next steps in their plans against the Fire Nation were taking precedence.

"Someone has to stay here with the Earth King and help him plan for the invasion," Sokka said as he stood, breaking Katara out of her thoughts. "I guess that's me."

In her head, she thought about the fact that Sokka had wanted to see their father so badly, so much more than she did, but he was quick to sacrifice his want for the needs of the war. Besides, she wasn't sure if she could face her father for leaving them so quickly after their mother died. So she stood as well and turned to her brother, "No, Sokka. I know how badly you wanna help Dad. You go to Chameleon Bay. I'll stay here with the king."

His joy was clear as tears - actual  _tears_ \- brimmed in his eyes and he danced in his spot, "You are the nicest... sister... ever!"

He wrapped his arms around her in a big hug as he smacked a big kiss on her cheek. "Easy there, big brother..." She smiled and chuckled with mirth, her inner thoughts from earlier all but forgotten, "Though you're right. I am."

After that, they parted ways; Sokka and Aang to Chameleon Bay, and Toph to an address in the Upper Ring to meet with her mother. Katara was told the meeting with the Council of Five would not be until a few more days, so she had time to relax and prepare herself.

More like take a bath and a day-long nap.

However when she reached their home, a scroll was tied to their door. A brown ribbon was wrapped around it with a seal she did not recognize, so she took it gingerly before going inside. Once the door was shut, she untied the ribbon and broke the seal with her thumb, then slowly unrolled it. Unfamiliar handwriting met her eyes, but the first name made the knot of worry in her chest lessen.

_"Hello Miss Katara, Avatar Aang, Master Sokka, and Lady Toph,_

_Lee and I will be opening the Jasmine Dragon in the Upper Ring at the end of this week. I have attached a card with the address of our new apartment and the teashop. Lee is currently feeling quite under the weather, so we have yet to move to our new home. Once he feels better and we have gotten settled in, I will send you another letter._

_It was so nice seeing you all the other day,_

_Uncle."_

Katara clutched the letter a little closer to her chest and looked out the window towards the large wall that separated the Upper Ring from the rest of Ba Sing Se. Was it really longer than just yesterday that she saw Iroh and Zuko at the little teashop in the Lower Ring? She could have sworn it had only been one day...

But then again, running into Jet almost right after leaving the teashop, figuring out the location of the Dai Li headquarters that night, and then going straight to Lake Laogai the morning after. They had spent only a few hours in there, but between running away from the Dai Li, running into the Earth King, and then bringing him back to the lake the next day, she hadn't really focused on how much time had elapsed since they had started their quest to free Appa.

And Zuko was sick? Maybe that was why he had acted so strange at the teashop before storming out. But that wouldn't make sense if he had gone to free Appa for them. He wouldn't have been able to if he was sick. Perhaps he had gotten sick under the lake itself, but that would mean that she and her friends would be susceptible to the sickness, as well.

She suddenly felt the need to go visit him at their Lower Ring apartment as soon as possible.

Well, at least not before bathing.

Once she was cleaned up, she hailed a carriage and made her way down to the Lower Ring, going to the address that Zuko had scrawled on the back of their coupon - in which she had written on a slip of paper before they had gone to the teashop the other day. They pulled up to an old, run-down building. There were three floors, and based on the numbering of the apartments it seemed Zuko and Iroh lived on the second floor. She quickly tipped her carriage driver and hustled up the stairs and over to their door, then knocked twice.

She heard a soft groaning, likely Iroh based on the gravely tone, and soft padding of feet coming towards the door. It swung open, revealing the retired general's weary face, and Katara smiled.

"Surprise?"

"Miss Katara!" he gasped with something she could only call relief. "A pleasant surprise, indeed. What brings you to our humble home?"

She held up the letter from him and grinned sheepishly. "You said Lee was sick. I thought I could come check up on him."

Iroh glanced behind her, eyes darting back and forth, before he nodded and stepped aside to let her in. Katara entered their modest home, taking in the sparse decorations on the green walls, before her eyes went to open bedroom door to the left. As he led her over, he said in his tired voice, "I do not think it is an illness that you can aid him with, I am afraid. But the company would be nice."

She frowned when they reached the door. "What do you mean?"

Iroh sighed and looked into the room. Katara followed his gaze to see the bundle of blankets atop a mattress, huddled and clearly shivering under the warmth of the afternoon sunlight coming through the open window.

"This is a spiritual sickness," he said simply. "I experienced one myself after my son died. I told Zuko when he was lucid for a moment that he was going through a metamorphosis, and it will take a while, but he will end this journey as the beautiful prince I know he truly is meant to be."

Katara approached Zuko and knelt down near his head. She pushed his matted bangs away from his clammy forehead and was surprised when he unconsciously pushed his face into her touch and shivered. Her frown pressed hard between her brows. "How long is it supposed to last?"

"As long as he still remains conflicted about his decisions," Iroh responded cryptically.

She frowned even harder. "What does that mean? What decision?"

Iroh knelt on the opposite side of Zuko and patted his nephew on his covered shoulder. "He did something that goes against everything he was raised to believe, despite any lies that he has told himself. By freeing the Avatar's bison, It was in such conflict with him image of himself that he is now at war within his own mind and body."

"Oh," Katara softly murmured as she looked back down at Zuko's prone form. So he  _had_ helped free Appa. "What does that mean for Zuko, specifically?"

The look on Iroh's face was pained, but also proud. "He should wake up with a clear mind and heart, knowing what is truly the best for himself and his path to his destiny."

"So I probably shouldn't try to speed the healing process then," Katara deduced with a sad smile. Her eyes drifted back to Zuko and how his face was tilted towards hers, pinched in pain but still slack in sleep. Iroh nodded silently, so she brushed Zuko's hair off his forehead one more time before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to his warm forehead. "Why don't you freshen up and get something to eat? I'll watch over him until you're ready to come back."

Iroh's brows furrowed with curiosity, eyes lingering where Katara had kissed his nephew. "Are you sure? I don't want to inconvenience you."

Katara nodded and her fingers idly played with Zuko's damp hair. "It's no problem at all."

Iroh stood and patted her on the top of her head before he slipped out of the room and closed the door behind him. She heard him leave the apartment after a few moments, and as soon as she was certain he was gone, she looked down at Zuko and smiled. "You're something else, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation."

To her surprise, he groaned and his eyes squinted open, the color like burnt honey in his delirium. He coughed and shivered, then rolled over so his face was pressed against the side of her leg. With his rough voice, he murmured her name and coughed again.

She couldn't help but smile and brought some water from the basin under the window to her hand. She froze it around her fingers, then pressed the ice to his forehead. His face pulled into a grimace at the cold before he visibly relaxed into her touch, his sigh soft and almost blissful.

"Something else entirely," she murmured as her other hand carded through his hair again.

She passed the time humming old Water Tribe lullabies to him and telling him of their meeting with the Earth King right after Appa returned to them. She deliberately left out the plans about the eclipse and the invasion, knowing full and well that he wouldn't like the idea of attacking his people when they were at their weakest. Instead she told him of the liberation of the corruption and how it was in part thanks to him freeing Appa for them.

Though that seemed like something he would grumble about and call treason. With him being asleep, he couldn't argue with her reasoning.

While Katara was running some water all over Zuko's body, wicking away the sweat and grime that had accumulated during his sickness, Iroh returned to the apartment, freshly bathed and looking refreshed. Katara smiled as he walked back into the bedroom, ran her water over Zuko one last time before discarding it out the window. She pressed one last kiss to his forehead before she stood and brushed out her skirt. Iroh seemed surprised at this action, looking back and forth between her and his nephew before he deflated a little.

"You do not have to leave," Iroh insisted with his own soft smile. "I'm sure Zuko would enjoy the company."

"It's fine, Iroh." She gave him a respectful bow and smiled. "I've been rushing around for the past three days and I could really use a nap. Though sitting here with Zuko was quite relaxing, I miss my bed. Just let me know when you both are settled in in the Upper Ring and I'll come visit again, okay?"

Iroh simply nodded and led her to the door. Silently, he hugged her - a shock, truly - and he gave her a grateful smile.

"What was that for?" she asked when her cheeks turned red.

It was a secretive smile, now, and he shrugged as he said, "My nephew has never had many friends, and they ones he has made in the past have either turned on him or preferred his sister. Having someone like you in his life will be beneficial to his heart, even if he doesn't realize it yet."

With rosy cheeks, she left without asking him the meaning of his statement, and let it mull over in her mind as her carriage brought her back to the Upper Ring. When she arrived back at her empty home, she realized that Iroh may have been saying that her influence had swayed Zuko under the lake, perhaps even helped him make up his mind about helping Appa.

Or maybe she was just hoping he'd consider what she offered him that night. Either way, she had to see him again. And soon.

* * *

Zuko woke at sunrise to the smell of something absolutely delightful. He rubbed his eyes, yawned heavily, and pulled himself out of his new bed before going to his closet to get dressed. He and Iroh had moved the day before, right as his fever broke, and after he took a much needed bath he spent the rest of the day and night sleeping in his new bed.

It was strange, the whole sickness. He remembered bits and pieces - mostly the manic dreams, haunting songs, and the cooling touch of water against his burning skin - but mostly he was aware of the  _change_ in his mind. There was some sort of free sensation, as if tethers that had anchored him to his grief and struggles were suddenly cut, leaving him free of the confines that had been constricting him since the day he was scarred.

He was feeling a little unsettled over it, but his heart seemed so light the thought was fleeting as soon as he stepped out of his room and into the living area. As he rubbed his eyes again, he saw Iroh standing at the stove, stirring something, and he walked over. "What's that smell?"

Iroh turned around and eyed him strangely before turning back to the pot. "It's jook. I'm sure you wouldn't like it."

Zuko stepped closer and sniffed it, delighted to find it was the source of the scent that woke him, and he grabbed one of the bowls next to the stove. "Actually, it smells delicious. I'd love a bowl, Uncle."

Iroh's skeptical look grew, giving Zuko a pause, before he spooned out a portion and poured it into the proffered bowl as he said, "Now that your fever is gone, you seem different somehow."

Zuko couldn't help but smile as he made his way over to the table beneath the window and said, "It's a new day. We've got a new apartment, new furniture, and today's the grand opening of your new teashop. Things are looking up, Uncle."

The way Iroh's smile pulled up was not lost on Zuko, and he sighed with content as he started to eat his jook.

"We will need to leave here in about an hour to finish the preparations for the opening," Iroh commented as he sat down at the table with his own bowl. "Are you feeling well enough to join me for the opening?"

Zuko nodded and set his bowl down. "I wouldn't miss it."

Iroh's smile was contagious as he replied, "I am glad you are feeling better. There's no one I'd rather be by my side."

After they finished their food, Zuko cleaned up the dishes while Iroh went to change and get his things ready for the opening. While Zuko's sickness had gotten more mild and Iroh felt he could be left alone for a while, Iroh met with Quon to finalize their plans for the teashop and mostly all that needed to be done was create the opening day menu and get things cooking for the guests.

They set out of their apartment before the streets got busy and made their way over to the Jasmine Dragon down the street.

The early morning sunlight cracked through the trees lining the street, hitting Zuko's skin and warming him more than ever before. He took a deep breath, taking it all in, and he sighed with content as they turned the corner and walked up the stairs that led to the Jasmine Dragaon's front entrance. Iroh led him around the back and unlocked the side door, then ushered him inside. Just as they did at the old shop down in the Lower Ring, Zuko opened the windows and began taking down the chairs while Iroh went to the back and started prepping his work station for the tea he would inevitably prepare.

Apparently Quon had done lots of advertisement for the shop while Zuko had been sick and Iroh was anticipating a big crowd that would last the whole day. If he was honest, Zuko was looking forward to it. Moving around so much would stretch out the limbs he hadn't used in the week that he was sick. Plus, this was Iroh's dream. Though his uncle had never voiced it, after Lu Ten died Zuko knew he wanted a life of peace and simplicity. His love for tea was apparent even when Zuko was a child, enough for the mere concept to be permanently paired with the image of his beloved uncle.

And now, after years of following Zuko around and dealing with his petulant attitude and ungratefulness, Iroh was getting what his patience earned him.

The doors were opened mid-morning and quickly all of the tables were filled. The other servers Iroh had hired were quick to get orders taken and Iroh was even quicker to get the pots of tea started. More and more customers came and went, declaring their adoration for the tea and cakes that had been briskly served to them.

As the day moved on, Iroh stood with Zuko at the back of the store, marveling at the amount of people coming and going, and he said with humble honesty, "Who thought when we came to this city as refugees, that I'd end up owning my own teashop? Follow your passion, Zuko, and life will reward you."

Zuko couldn't help but smile as he replied, "Congratulations, Uncle."

The humble look remained on Iroh's face. "I am very thankful."

"You deserve it," Zuko said. Iroh met his eyes as he continued, "The Jasmine Dragon will be the best teashop in the city."

Iroh shook his head and smiled as he said, "No. I'm thankful because you decided to share this special day with me. It means more than you know."

That warm feeling that had been lingering in Zuko's chest the whole day swelled and he couldn't stop himself from hugging his uncle. Iroh was stunned - Zuko couldn't blame him - so to spare himself any embarrassment, he broke away and declared with a grin, "Now let's make these people some tea!"

As he walked to the back to grab more cakes and pull out more leaves for Iroh to use, the elder firebender announced just as jubilantly, "Yes, let's make some tea!"

* * *

The scroll was safe in her hands, on its way to the palace for Kuei's seal and then to be brought back to the Council of Five. She was determined to play her part, however small, while her friends were off making their own progress. Aang was with the Guru, Sokka was with their dad, and Toph was with her mom. Though the latter's was not as fantastic sounding as the others, the fact that her mother was willing to meet with her would likely bring Toph loads of emotional growth.

Something they would need in the upcoming months.

She sighed and tightened her grip on the scroll as she scratched Momo behind his ear. It had been a few days since everyone left, and since she visited the Lower Ring to see Zuko. It was strange, how quickly things were moving in regards to the plans for the eclipse. Sokka would be so proud that his plan was going into effect so efficiently, and she hoped Aang was getting some progress with the Guru. Spirits knew they needed some sort of edge when it came to defeating the Fire Nation.

In two months.

She wondered how Zuko would react to the knowledge that they were planning on taking out his father when he had no bending.

In fact, she wondered if he was able to work. She knew the Jasmine Dragon was opening today, due to the flier that Iroh sent to her the day before. She looked up to the lemur perched on her shoulder and asked, "What do you say, Momo? A cup of tea before we get back to the king?"

Momo chirruped and she dug out the flier from her pocket to find the address. Luckily for her, it was on the way to the palace and she would be able to swing in and out before she was set to meet with King Kuei. Plus, she would get to possibly see Zuko and check up on his health.

After walking for a short time, she came upon the Jasmine Dragon; a large building with a beautiful fountain in the front courtyard. She smiled at the clear crowd she could see inside and the amount of bustling people on the patio. So many people for their opening day. Iroh must be proud.

She stepped inside and looked to the hostess, bowing slightly as she said, "Table for two, please."

"Uncle!" She perked up at the familiar sound of Zuko's voice and spotted him walking towards the counter. His green robe over his clothing was charming, the gold embroidery matching the dragon motifs on the rugs. "I need two jasmine, one green, and one lychee!"

"I'm brewing as fast as I can!"

The hostess led her to a vacant table, one conveniently close to the counter and away from most of the others guests. Almost as soon as she was seated, Zuko walked over to the guests two tables away from her, set down their tray with the same finesse he had back in the Lower Ring shop, smiled genuinely at the patrons before turning on his heel to make his way to her. The moment his eyes met hers, he froze. And she smiled.

"Hey, Lee."

His stupor broke quickly and he hurried over to her. With a bow, he looked up at her and stated, "Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. I will be your server today. May I interest you in our specials today? Or do you have a particular blend in mind?"

Katara felt her lips pull into a wry smirk as she said, "That blend we had when we were at that private table would be nice."

"I can see about getting that blend for you." The way his good cheek turned a little pink was adorable. "How are you, Katara?"

"I'm good," she replied honestly, trying not to blush at her tiny train of thought. Her tone turned concerned, however, as she asked, "Are you feeling better?"

His eyes widened slightly and he shifted his weight. "How did you know about that?"

She couldn't help the way her cheeks heated as she averted her eyes. "I... came and visited you at your old apartment. Uncle told me about your sickness and since I wasn't doing anything... You were out cold the whole time I was there."

Zuko seemed to deflate a little - was he disappointed, maybe? - and he let out a slight breath before replying, "I'm sorry. I can make it up to you."

Katara didn't expect that, if she was being honest. She thought he would have brushed it off and gotten all puffy when she brought it up - most men did when their weaknesses were put on display - but instead he seemed earnestly apologetic.

It was strange seeing him like this.

She smiled and reached out to grab his hand. She couldn't help but notice how warm it was, just like last time. "I would like that. How about tonight? Aang and Sokka aren't in the city and Toph is with her mom, so I have no plans. At least, after I have to go to the Earth King's palace. When I'm done, I'll come back here. How's that sound?"

His cheek turned a little pink and he cleared his throat as he clutched his empty tray to his chest. "Sure. We close after sundown. You can just come see me then, yeah?"

She nodded and her smile grew, which in turn made Zuko's cheek turn to a dark shade of red before he bowed and scurried off to the back room where Iroh must have gone. The seasoned general poked his head out from the backroom, spotted her, and gave her a cheeky grin before popping back behind the curtain. Both came out - Iroh heading to the area where he prepped the tea behind the counter, and Zuko going to other tables to take more orders.

He didn't come back to her table until her tea and complementary cakes were ready.

"Made special for you," he declared as he poured her cup. "My Uncle said its on the house."

"Give my thanks to Uncle, then," she replied with a grin. "Also, I should be thanking you, too."

His lone eyebrow quirked up in bemusement.

"For freeing Appa," Katara clarified. When Zuko's eyes widened, she added, "Your note wasn't that subtle."

"I wasn't trying to be." Her wry grin returned as he blew some of his bangs out of his eyes and looked away. "It was the right thing to do. I may not have gone there with that intention, but in the end I did what I had to."

Katara took a drink of the tea, savoring its robust flavor, and she sighed, "Don't forget what I suggested. If I tell Aang that it was you that freed Appa, he'd be more inclined than before."

Zuko turned and met her eyes again, surprise evident in his eyes and slack jaw. "What?"

She shrugged. "After we went to visit you, he said he always thought you have good in you. I know you do. You proved it."

His gaze dropped and he took a slight step back. "I'll... think about it."

Without letting her reply, he spun on his heels and marched to the counter to get another order carried to the respective table. As she finished her tea, and Momo ate all the cakes, she tried to catch his attention but he had just been too busy. By the time she was done, he had met her eyes once but looked away almost immediately.

Her resigned sigh was enough to make Momo purr and rub his head under her chin.

"Thanks, Momo," she murmured as she scratched behind his ears. Zuko slipped into the backroom once again and she couldn't help but deflate. She needed to get going, and waiting around to talk to Zuko again was going to waste too much of her precious time, especially if she had to return the scroll to the Council of Five before sundown. "Let's get out of here."

She stood and left a hefty tip on the table for her cute waiter. She waved goodbye to Iroh, told him to tell Lee she was leaving, and then took the scroll and made her way out of the teashop. Zuko didn't chase after her - she expected that - and soon she was walking through the gates of the Earth King's palace. The staircase was long and grand, but her distracted mind had kept her occupied the entire walk up.

Was Zuko upset that she brought that up? Or was he acting so differently because of the sickness? Iroh did say that he was going through a metamorphosis, perhaps this change was what Zuko was truly like on the inside. Gone were the days of snippy attitude and slammed doors. That's what she hoped. All she could hope was that this new Zuko would be more inclined to help Aang defeat the Fire Lord. At least, once he got over that weird hot and cold thing he was doing.

But then again, Ozai was Zuko's father. He probably wouldn't want to be one hundred leagues of that conflict, unless it was to  _protect_  him.

Katara let out a despondent sigh as she reached the top of the stairs. Momo started chittering on her shoulder, the trilling sound almost nervous, but she chalked it up to her own anxiety over meeting with Zuko after she met with King Kuei and delivered the scroll back to General How. She was let into Kuei's throne room, not followed by the Dai Li agents that allowed her to pass, and quickly she noticed something was amiss. Kuei was not present, as she was led to believe he would be, and there were three Kyoshi Warriors kneeling in front of the throne, facing her as she approached.

Katara did not recognize any of these girls.

Maybe she was just being paranoid. Maybe Suki was with Kuei at the moment, and these girls were from one of the other villages on the island and joined them.

But why would the one up front wear Suki's headband?

"I'm sorry, but where is King Kuei?" she asked. Unconsciously, she tightened her grip on the scroll. "I have to deliver this to him for his signature."

What was it Sokka always said? Never deny your instincts.

She took a slight step back when the one up front stood and started to approach her. A glint of gold in her eyes made her breath catch and her mind immediately go to Zuko.

"I can certainly get it to him for you," the girl said in a silken voice that Katara instantly recognized. She would never forget it, not when it meant doom and disaster if she heard it in the halls of the Earth King's palace.  _Never deny your instincts._

Her free hand flew to her water skin while Momo screeched and flew off at the movement. The girl to the right -  _Ty Lee,_ she  _knew_  it - leapt into the air and with a sudden and divisive pinch to a space on her shoulder, Katara fell into a graceless heap on the ground. She couldn't feel her entire body, paralyzed completely, and watched as her water puddled on the ground beneath her.

She couldn't even feel that.

The three girls hovered over her, Azula opening the scroll and reading its contents with apt interest. "So the foolish king wasn't lying. I'm sure my father would be pleased to have this insight."

"Where are the others?" Ty Lee asked Azula. "I was hoping to see the cute one."

"If we have her, they'll come," Azula declared as she rolled up the scroll and tucked it under her arm. "Especially the Avatar. Lock her up in the caves."

Katara had no time to react before Ty Lee bent over and hit her in the nape of her neck, blacking her out completely.

* * *

Zuko stood at the entrance of the teashop, sweeping the same spot for what felt like the hundredth time since the store officially closed. He watched the streets, where less and less people were milling about as the sun dipped beneath the horizon. A frown pulled his lips, tugging at the edges of his scar, and he narrowed his eyes at the shadows of Dai Li agents scurrying across the rooftops.

"Uncle?" he called without taking his eyes off of the silhouette standing on the building across the courtyard.

"Yes, nephew?" Iroh called back. The sound of him shuttering up a window and putting up a chair echoed through the empty shop.

Zuko set the broom against the wall inside the door and he untied his apron. "I'm going to step out. I'll just meet you at home."

A suggestive look crossed Iroh's face. "Meeting Miss Katara, eh?"

Zuko fought the flush that burned his cheeks and turned on his heel after he laid his apron on the hostess stand. As he stepped out, he replied, "Something like that."

As he walked out into the darkness of night, he kept glancing over his shoulder to see that same silhouette following him from the rooftops. He wasn't even being subtle about it. Immediately after turning a corner, Zuko ducked into an alley and hid behind a crate. The person - clearly a Dai Li agent now - slid down the side of the opposite building and crept into the alleyway. His arms were raised, ready to fight, and Zuko crept behind him before wrapping his arm around the man's neck.

"Why are you following me?"

The man stiffened and his head turned slightly. "I recognize your voice-"

Zuko recognized his, as well. "Ling?"

His arms slackened and Ling ducked out of his grip. He spun on his heels and faced Zuko, eyes wide with surprise, and lowered his hands. "You're just a kid."

Zuko frowned and folded his arms across his chest. "What are you doing?"

"Patrolling," Ling said in the most matter-of-fact tone. "And I wasn't following you."

Eyes narrowed. "I'm sure."

"Slipping into an alleyway was suspect, regardless of who you are," Ling replied in a curt tone. "I came to investigate. There's an issue with opioids in the Upper Ring and we try to prevent it from killing people. Most of the bad ones come into these alleys to enjoy themselves."

"Oh." Zuko shifted his foot, not forgetting his mission. "Have you been to the palace today?"

"Planning on breaking in?" Ling clipped with a disapproving frown.

"My friend went there this afternoon and was supposed to meet with me afterwards," Zuko replied. He was suddenly grateful that the moonlight was prohibiting Ling was truly seeing his face aside from his good eye. "Any insight?"

"Maybe she just stood you up." Ling's retort was sharp and dismissive, but it was also his downfall.

Zuko's lips pulled into a smirk. "I never said anything about this friend being a girl."

Even in the shadows, Zuko could see the color leaving Ling's face as he stumbled back and started sputtering out excuses. Too bad Zuko was quick and pounced, tackling the earthbender to the ground and wrapping his left hand around his throat while lighting a focused bolt of fire off of his fingertip of the right. The man's fear flickered in the light in his eyes.

"What happened to her?"

Ling shook his head and swallowed against the hand against his throat. "I know nothing."

Zuko tightened his grip and moved the fire closer to Ling's temple. "That's a lie."

He heard the man groan under his breath, something like,  _"why is it always me?"_  before he sighed and tapped Zuko's wrist.

A surrender.

Zuko let him go and stood. Ling stayed on the ground, looking at the fire that still flickered on his fingers, and he said, "The Kyoshi Warriors that are in the palace are impostors. They're working with the Dai Li under Long Feng's orders to take out the Earth King in a coup. Apparently the girl you're looking for came in and the women disguised as the Warriors decided to imprison her. She must have known who they are."

A sinking feeling filled his gut as he put out his fire and asked dreadfully, "What do the warriors look like?"

Ling stood, brushed himself off, and replied, "All about the same height, only one had brown hair, the other two black. The brown haired one likes to flip around and one of the black haired ones was practicing a lot of knife throwing while they were speaking to us regarding the coup. And the last was -"

"Scary beyond all reason?" Zuko couldn't help but ask, his stomach falling in fear.

Ling nodded and he wiped his forehead. Zuko noticed that his finger lingered near a scar on his right cheek. It hadn't been there when they met. "Terrifying. The Fire Princess is ruthless."

"You know who she is?" The knot got even tighter and Zuko fought the urge to vomit.

Ling nodded. "The other Dai Li agents ignore that fact because they feel betrayed by the Earth King and the Council of Five. It's all because of the Avatar and his friends, so they felt no qualms with imprisoning your friend."

"Fuck," Zuko hissed as he stepped back and ran his hands through his hair. Katara had been captured by Azula, trapped in the Earth King's palace. Azula was in Ba Sing Se, working with the Dai Li to overthrow the Earth King. Zuko deduced immediately that she was working with the Dai Li only to double cross them in order to claim Ba Sing Se in the name of the Fire Lord.

This was about to get all kinds of fucked up.

He turned to Ling and grabbed the man by his shoulders. "Can you take me to where Katara is imprisoned? I need to break her out and find the Avatar so he can stop this."

"It's already happening, kid," Ling replied sharply. "There's nothing you can do to stop it."

Zuko relit the fire in his hand and thrust it close to Ling's face, illuminating his own in the process. "Tell me where she is."

Ling's eyes darted back and forth, recognition filling his features as his jaw dropped in surprise. "P-Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation?!"

"Not a Prince anymore," Zuko spat. "Tell. Me. Now."

"The Crystal Catacombs of Old Ba Sing Se, beneath the palace."

Zuko put out the fire and tugged Ling towards the streets. "You're going to take me there."

Ling was quick to help him, leading him through the streets of the Upper Ring towards the palace. They stopped by a storefront and Zuko purchased a waterskin for Katara and filled it with water from a stream that they crossed over. They entered the palace grounds through a tunnel in the middle of the stone wall and Ling led him to a hidden grove near the side of the palace itself. He even went as far as opening a deep tunnel in the ground that would lead to the cavern in which Katara was being held. Ling's help was invaluable in finding Katara and getting her to safety, Zuko knew this. If Azula was holding her, she was definitely being used as bait for the Avatar.

Overthrowing Ba Sing Se and snagging the Avatar in one fell swoop? Father would throw her a festival when she returned home.

That knot in his stomach got even tighter.

"Close this after I get to the bottom," Zuko told Ling. The man rose his eyebrows in confusion before Zuko elaborated, "I can't have anyone follow me. I'll find Katara, and you find my Uncle and the Avatar. Tell them what is happening and get someone back here to get us out."

"They probably imprisoned her in a room with no entrance," Ling countered. "You'll need me to open the wall."

Zuko frowned. "I can't break her out this early. Azula will know there's a defector if you break her out with me. Katara told me herself that none of her friends are in town. They wouldn't be able to save her this quickly."

"But then you'll be trapped in there with her until they show up -  _if_ they show up."

That was something he didn't truly think about. He tried not to wince at his impulsiveness. Especially when it came to Katara. He cursed under his breath.

"You didn't really think this through, did you?" Ling sighed, as if he read Zuko's thoughts. Zuko's frown deepened and he remained silent, so Ling merely deflated and shook his head. "Fine. Then I'll go with you, let you in, and you can keep her safe until I get your uncle. Deal?"

Zuko nodded with gratitude before he leapt into the hole. The tunnel was at a slant, one steep enough that Zuko could slide down on the soles of his shoes without losing his balance. He reached the bottom pretty quickly, Ling following right behind him. They nodded to each other, resolute to stay quiet, and turned away from their entrance.

Immediately, Zuko was shocked by the appearance of this cavern - green crystals lighting up the entire place, a miniature river cutting through the room, and a waterfall coming from a hidden hole in the ceiling. It was massive, and Zuko had no idea where they were going to start.

Voices started to echo from the other side of the cave, so Zuko pulled Ling with him and ducked behind a stalagmite. He peered over the edge, hoping to see who was coming. Not a second later, two Dai Li agents walked out and they were murmuring amongst themselves.

"... until the Avatar arrives?" one stated. Though he was trying to be quiet, their voices carried all over the place.

"That's her plan," the second replied. "Capturing his friend will lure him here. The Princess wants to ensure no one can challenge the takeover."

Zuko glanced and noticed that one was carrying a bowl. His eyes darted to where they had come from, then back to their approaching forms.

"But imprisoning a master waterbender down here? What is she thinking?"

The second one sighed and he shook his head. "Perhaps having her so far underground, the Avatar will come for her and then be trapped. She hasn't quite filled us all in on the details."

"She hasn't told Long Feng everything, either."

The second one paused and turned to his comrade. They were so close to Zuko's hiding place that he could smell the plain rice that was in the bowl. "Shen, we cannot challenge their orders. We carry them out, for the peace in the Earth Kingdom."

"Having the Princess of the Fire Nation here isn't doing much for the peace," Shen replied, sounding as if he was pouting. "And going against the Avatar doesn't seem like it either, Po."

There was tense silence for a long moment, so long Zuko held his breath and hoped they wouldn't notice it from where they were standing. He met Ling's eyes and it seemed he was holding his breath just as cautiously. The silence was broken when a familiar and muffled shout came from the left walls near the waterfall.

_"LET ME OUT OF HERE, YOU CRUSTY BARNACLE-BREATH RATS! COME AND FIGHT ME LIKE REAL MEN!"_

Zuko smirked to Ling and watched carefully as the two Dai Li agents walked together over to a section of the wall, far away from the waterfall itself, and one shoved his foot into the ground. A shout of surprise came from the other side and then the other opened the wall for them to enter. A minute later, they returned and closed the wall behind them, then walked back to where they had entered. Zuko waited for five breaths before he and Ling to where they had gone through the wall.

"I'll open it up and close it right behind you, okay?" Ling said as he slid into his stance.

Zuko nodded and hesitated for a split second before extending his hand. "Thank you for your help."

Ling looked at it for a long moment, then clasped Zuko on his forearm - a gesture typically done by the Water Tribes and peasants, but it was a gesture of camaraderie that went beyond the nations. Zuko himself had only done it to his uncle once, right after his banishment, but he understood the meaning well enough. It seemed Ling did, as well, because a somber look crossed his face as he let go and opened the wall.

Zuko slipped in and it was shut behind him immediately. Before he even could process the environment, arms were wrapping around his neck and a body slammed into him.

 _"Zuko!_  Oh, Spirits!" Katara gasped into the skin of his neck. He tried not to shiver and he wrapped his arms around her waist. "What are you doing here?!"

"I came to rescue you," he said simply, as if it was obvious. "But we can't leave yet."

Katara pulled away from him, an affronted look on her face, and she replied, "Why not?"

"Azula is pulling a coup, and if you escape so quickly into your imprisonment, then she'll suspect someone is betraying her and might retaliate. We have to lay low until Uncle can meet up with your friends and get you all out of here."

"What about you?"

Zuko looked towards the wall in which he had come through and he sighed, "I'm not sure yet."

She shoved him then, moving away from him, and the disappointment was clear on her face. "You didn't even think this through, did you?"

A wry smirk broke out on his lips and he replied, "You're not the first person to point that out to me lately."

"You're a stupid man," Katara bemoaned as she strode over to a cluster of stalagmites and slumped to the floor. "Did you at least bring some water?"

He patted his side, where the small waterskin rested, and he replied, "It's not much, but it will help. There's a big river and waterfall on the other side of this wall, too, should a fight break out."

"That explains the noise," Katara murmured, a troubled look crossing her face. "Ty Lee blocked my bending so I haven't been able to feel it."

"Has she come down here lately?"

Katara shook her head. "No need to. She only chi blocked me the one time, when I realized who they were. It was a strong one, though. I couldn't even move."

Zuko made his way over to her and handed her the waterskin. She took a sip from it -  _they're probably withholding water from her,_ he thought furiously to himself - and she sighed as he sank down and sat next to her. There was a distant look in her eyes as she stared at the ground between her feet. Zuko was quiet, letting her sort out her thoughts, and watched the wall.

Ling needed to find Iroh. And then get word to the Avatar. Katara didn't tell him where they had all gone, but Iroh would know how to get word to him. Somehow.

And they would come and rescue them both and they would all get the hell out of Ba Sing Se, as fast as possible since Azula was there.

Zuko found no point in trying to fight, even though he was tired of running. He needed to face her, but Ba Sing Se was not his battle to fight. However...

"Before you ask," he started as he turned his head slightly in her direction, gaining enough of her attention that the waterskin was lowered from her face, "I'm not working with Azula. Finding out she was here is as much of a surprise to me as it is to you."

Katara's eyes narrowed and her fingers fiddled with the cap of the waterskin. "How can I be sure?"

"She's tried to kill me on more than one occasion," Zuko remarked instantly, the impact of those acts long dulled these past few months. "She'd rather me dead so she can claim the right as the next Fire Lord. Though I may be marked as a traitor, I'm still the Crown Prince. Nothing changes the fact that I can challenge her claim, should she try to take it."

Katara turned so her eyes were on his face. "I'm sorry. I can't help it."

He met her gaze and frowned. "Why?"

When her eyes flickered to his scar, he knew. She was just like the rest of them, seeing his scar as his mark of shame, as his punishment for being less than the loyal son the Fire Lord desired. The mark of the banished prince. No matter where he was, it followed him like a shadow; one that lingered in his sight with every decision he made and dream he created.

He tore his gaze away from her, trying not to huff as he pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. "I get it."

"I'm sorry," she repeated as she placed her hand on his arm. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his tunic and he squeezed his eyes shut. He hated to admit she was just like everyone else, not when she had shown him such kindness and - dare he say it - love. "It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face."

He pinched his eyes closed even more and his fingers drifted to the mottled skin on his cheek. "I see."

Katara must have noticed, because her fingers were peeling off of his arm and he could feel her shift so she was kneeling in front of him. "That's not what I meant."

"It's okay," he replied roughly. It wasn't okay. "I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark."

Katara pulled his fingers away from his face and Zuko chanced a look at her. She was leaning over him, face hovering closely to his, and unconsciously he let his legs straighten back out. Her fingers replaced his against the rough skin under his eye and he shuddered. In his moment of vulnerability, Katara swung her leg over his and settled into his lap. Her warmth enveloped him and unbidden, he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her a little closer.

The heat that had consumed him during their tryst in the alleyway returned and he tried not to let it take him over again. He would not sully her while they were imprisoned as his sister overthrew the Earth Kingdom government.

It didn't help that the way she caressed his scar reverently made his chest ache with something so fierce that his brain refused to think.

Then she was kissing him, soft and sweet and so loving that his breath was stolen into her pliant mouth. Zuko's eyes shot open, but he did not move away. She was still kissing him.  _But why?_

The fact that he stilled under her touch apparently did not deter her. Instead, she settled a little closer to him and her hands slid up his neck to cup his face. Against his lips, she murmured his name. He shivered and the heat overtook him. He deepened the kiss and notched her hips up with his, lining them up as he had done in the alleyway. Her keen was swallowed by his hungry kiss - so frantic and overwhelming that his head was spinning even before her tongue swiped against his lower lip.

Frantic hands scrambled to grab  _something_ and Katara managed to slip her fingers under the folds of his robe and touch the heated skin of his chest. He shuddered again, trying his hardest not to succumb completely, and he mimicked her movements. Hands trailed up her thighs, sliding underneath the skirt of her dress, and he stopped band of her pants.

He broke their kiss, panting as he tried to settle himself, and he laid his forehead on her shoulder. His fingertips still pressed against the soft skin of her belly, a breath away from branding her.

"Zuko?"

He shook his head and pressed his lips to her throat. A choked sound came out of her and her hips jerked against him. The spark of sensation that shot through him made his fingers clench, and he had to fight the urge to bite down and shove his hand beneath her wrappings.

"I... Isn't it a bad time to be doing this?" he managed to ask, his voice rough and unsure.

Katara tightened her arms around his shoulders and she took in a deep breath. "I don't know."

His fingers flexed. "Someone could interrupt at any second."

"Isn't that part of the fun?"

He couldn't help but chuckle, "I never pegged you to be a thrill-seeker."

"Coming from the man who knows I stole a waterbending scroll from pirates."

Zuko smirked against her neck and pressed his nose to the tendons. She smelled like sweat and the tea he had made her that afternoon, plus that peachy flavor he had tasted during their alleyway tryst.

"How did we get from talking about my scar to making out, anyway?"

Katara giggled, a soft and lovely sound, and she tucked her hand under his chin so they could level their gazes. "You just looked so... despondent. I wanted you to know that I clearly didn't think of you in that way anymore. And that I think you're beautiful."

He didn't have time to feel flattered or embarrassed, as hr eyes moved to his scar and Zuko immediately felt his skin crawl. Everyone saw his scar, no matter the context. The first time people look at it, there is disgust and pity, then when they learn of its origin they are torn between shame and scorn. Though Katara's eyes, which had once looked at him with fear and resolute defiance, looked at him with reverence and sadness. Her hand, floating in the air in a silent question, lingered close enough for him to see but far enough to not cross any lines.

She didn't see him for the monster he had been, but the man he could be.

Zuko closed his eyes and let out a soft breath as her fingers pressed against the mottled skin of his cheek. His breath became staggered then, right when the sensation of her touch disappeared, and he knew she was feeling the scar truly for the first time. True, she had touched it when his identity was first revealed in the safety of the willow's branches, and again in the alleyway, but this time it seemed to touch him with focus and intent, not comfort or curiosity.

"How did it happen?"

He didn't open his eyes - out of fear or resignation, he didn't know - as he replied, "My father. A sign of my dishonor and shame for disrespecting him."

Katara's fingers pressed down a little more and he was afraid to see the anger in her eyes, for he knew it would match her voice. "That's despicable. What kind of father hurts his own son?"

"A father that's willing to burn the whole world along with me," Zuko replied evenly. He opened his eyes, finally seeing her fury and sadness as it spilled from her eyes. He lifted his free hand and wiped away the tears that had fallen with the pad of his thumb. "I've come to accept my punishment. I will never be free of my scar, but I can decide how it defines me."

"Would you like to be free of it?" Katara asked with an eerily even voice. "I can try to heal it."

Zuko shrugged and cast his eyes away from hers. "It's a scar. It can't be healed."

"I have water from the Spirit Oasis." She pulled a vial out of her loosened dress and showed him it as proof. "It has special properties so it may work."

His eyes went to the tiny charm, taking in the swirls of blue and the shining crescent moon on the stopper, and his heart raced unnaturally in his chest. He could be  _free,_ from his past and the reflection that reminded him of it so often. He could finally sever the last link to his past and move on to the peaceful life Uncle wanted for him in Ba Sing Se. He would finally turn away from that trauma for good.

That's if it even worked. For all he knew, the scar was too old and permanent to even regain feeling through her healing abilities. Special water or not.

Even then, if Katara was able to heal his scar, he could never return home.

If the war ends in his lifetime, he could never go back to the Fire Nation if he completely cut his last connection to his homeland. Conceding and removing the scar, his last reminder of his dishonor, he would be essentially saying he no longer deemed his honor worth the fight. The running would never stop, the hiding would be the only thing he had. His face would be unmarred, but his honor would forever be sullied if the Avatar was not returned to the Fire Nation and Ozai remained on the throne. If the war continued, so would his fight to remain anonymous and an enemy to his people.

He could never be free, even if the scar was gone. Nothing would change the facts that being  _Lee_ meant nothing if Azula was in Ba Sing Se and in the process of overthrowing the government.

With a sad smile, Zuko cupped his hand over the vial, lowering it away, and he murmured, "Save it for something important. It's too precious to waste on something that may not even work."

Katara looked crestfallen, as if she didn't understand why he was declining her gift. After a long moment, she nodded and tucked the vial back into her shirt, then wrapped her arms around his shoulders to hug him once again.

"The offer will always stand."

He pressed his face to her collar and realized his hand was still tucked into her shirt and about to slide into her pants. Carefully, he tried to remove it and salvage the intimate moment between them, but as soon as his fingers started to move, Katara jolted and her arms tightened around him.

Zuko froze and his fingers flexed. Katara's hips jerked again.

He pulled away from her and met her eyes, eyes that looked like the ocean under a full moon, and he kissed her.

This kiss was different, no less passionate than the ones before but the desperation and clumsiness was gone. Gone was the uncertainty, the lingering pain. Instead, he held her with all the gratefulness he could muster. For who could offer such a gift to someone like him?

Only Katara.

She deserved so much more than a runaway coward like him.

Boldly, Zuko took a breath and plunged his hand into her pants as he deepened the kiss. The second his tongue touched hers, his fingers met course hairs and damp skin. Her breath stuttered with a broken moan when his fingers brushed against a fold of skin he vaguely remembered Iroh telling him about during their cringe-worthy sex education lessons.

_"Touch her here, Prince Zuko, and she will quiver at your prowess."_

He had groaned and blushed furiously at the time, but now he was thanking Iroh for those wise words. Katara was indeed quivering as he rubbed slow and gentle circles around it. He was reminded of his own cock, throbbing with desire underneath her undulating hips, and how her mewling reactions to him touching her there reminded him of touching himself.

A swirl of his finger around the swelling nub and her corresponding moan told him that they were likely similar in nature.

The slickness of her fluids coated his fingers, giving him better traction in his exploring. As his tongue and lips occupied hers, swallowing her cries of pleasure, his hand made work of her cunt. His fingers dipped between her folds, caressing every inch of warm skin and picking up more and more of the slickness from her opening. However, the angle was starting to prove slightly painful for his wrist.

Zuko broke the kiss and murmured against her lips, "Turn around so your back is to me."

Katara moaned pitifully as his fingers slipped out of her pants and met his eyes, her own glazed over with lust and her cheeks flushed. "Why?"

"Better angle," he replied simply. At her hesitation, Zuko glanced to his hand, shining with her fluids, and he brought it to his mouth. With a slow drag of his tongue, he tasted her essence and watched as her eyes bulged and a whimper left her. Tangy, a little sweet, and completely  _Katara_  and  _delicious_. His cock jumped and he groaned as he slid his tongue between his fingers to lap up the rest of it.

"Stop that or I might do something I regret," she snapped weakly, as if her will left her when his tongue darted out to taste her.

Zuko smirked and licked his lips. "Maybe I want to get a better taste later."

Later. After they escape Azula's prison and flee the great city. After he makes up his mind.

Later.

But that wasn't on his mind. All he cared about was right now.

When she didn't move, Zuko planted his hands on her hips and hoisted her up. Unfortunately, he didn't consider the fact that when she stood her womanhood would be directly in his face so he got a strong whiff of her heady scent, the same that lingered on his tongue. He was unable to control himself as he pressed his face to her crotch, hindered from truly touching her by her dress and pants, and he inhaled deeply as his lips mimicked a kiss to her lower lips. Katara's knees buckled at his actions and he tried not to let it get to his head.

Next time.

Right now, he had to touch her.

Katara turned around completely then lowered herself over his lap. While he was lost in the haze of her, she was wise enough to push her dress out of the way and lower her pants to her knees, giving him complete access to her. As soon as she was in place, Zuko latched his lips to her neck and started giving her kisses and little nibbles as one hand went straight to her pussy and the other cupped her breast through her dress.

_"Zuk-oooh..."_

Her moan was music to his ears.

His fingers played, plucking and rubbing, while his lips kissed every inch of her skin he could find on her neck and shoulders. He sucked on her ear, something Iroh had also told him would drive girls wild, and the bucking of her hips against his told him that the seasoned general was completely right.

He picked up the pace, switching from rubbing her to thrusting his finger inside of her, while his other hand plucked and rubbed her nipple with the pad of his thumb. His teeth grazed the tendon in her neck, sucking on it before moving down towards her shoulder and giving her another bite, and his fingers returned to her clit and started rubbing faster.

"Oh,  _fuck_ \- I'm com- _coming - "_ She cut herself off with a keening wail, body shaking as his fingers continued to swirl around that nub.

With all of her gyrating and moans of his name, Zuko was painfully aware of his own aching want, throbbing in time with his frantically beating heart. As Katara settled down from her peak, Zuko coaxed her back to earth and tried his best to alleviate his erection with deep breaths and  _not_ thinking about her naked core and hard nipples still in his hands. He could  _literally_ feel her womanhood fluttering and throbbing with the aftershocks of her orgasm and immediately all his mind could think of was that same pulsing warmth wrapped around his -

 _"Fuck,"_ he hissed and flexed his hips up against her ass. The texture of his pants was distracting, but not as much as the plushness of her backside, still grinding slowly against him in her absent breathing. He dropped his forehead to her shoulder, focus wavering, and removed his hand from her center.

Katara let out a throaty laugh, low and slow, and she leaned more into him. "Wow..."

All he could do was nod. Anything else would jostle his cock and remind him of his need.

Katara must have read his mind, because her hands reached behind her to grasp his forearms, giving her more leverage to grind her hips down a little more against him and for him to let out a pitiful groan. Deftly, he imagined her smirking as she ground down against him even more and rotated in a slow circle.

A choked noise got trapped in his throat and his head dropped back against the glowing crystals behind him.

She stood, pulling up her pants in the process, and quickly sat back down on his lap - facing him this time. She kissed him hard on the lips, bringing him back to her, and her fingers slipped into his pants. As they wrapped around the shaft of his erection and a shock of sensation shot through his body, Zuko gasped and bit down on her lip. Katara licked where his teeth had dug in and started tugging.

All sense of time ceased to exist with every stroke. Her cool fingers pulled more pleasure out of him than his own ever could. Quickly -  _too quickly -_ Zuko felt the inevitable shock of his climax. His grunts and gasps were swallowed by Katara's eager lips and he spent himself all over her pumping hand and the inside of his pants.

She slowed herself down - both her hand and her lips - and Zuko sighed as the euphoric high warmed his blood and made his body sag. His hands loosely held her close, while his lips continued to move with hers.

He didn't know how long they stayed like that, cradled in each others arms and kissing lazily, but Zuko was starting to feel the wetness of his cum beginning to cool. He helped Katara pull herself out of his pants, then handed her the discarded waterskin near his hip. She quickly washed away his essence, then cast off the sullied water to the far corner of the cavern. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she gave him another peck before nuzzling up against his neck.

The silence was soothing, comforting. He had never felt this  _content_ to be held, nor had he ever felt the need to just  _hold_ someone like he was holding her. He was sure Ty Lee would call this cuddling, but there was something more intimate to the way their hips were slotted together and their bodies almost perfectly synced together like puzzle pieces.

If only he could stay like this forever with her.

If only there wasn't a war raging above their heads and threatening all balance across the globe.

"Zuko?"

"Hmm?"

"Will... will you come with us?" She straightened up and looked into his eyes. "Will you come with us when we leave Ba Sing Se?"

"I-"

The sound of earthbending shook the entire cavern, breaking the moment and causing both Katara and Zuko to shoot to their feet and prepare to fight. What they didn't expect was the far wall to explode and for the Avatar and his Uncle to walk in, side by side.

* * *

Katara ran as fast as she could, following behind Aang as he led her towards the tunnel he had created to get down to the old city ruins with Iroh. Zuko had stayed behind with Iroh, much to her reluctance, but Iroh had insisted they needed to speak alone before they caught up with her and Aang above ground.

Apparently Iroh had already agreed with Aang that he and Zuko would leave Ba Sing Se with them.

She wasn't sure how Zuko would react to this. After all, he had avoided making a decision ever since she first brought it up.

Now he has no choice and may be forced into doing something he didn't want to.

Katara looked back towards the cavern in which they had escaped and was surprised to see Princess Azula emerging from the hole in the wall. As soon as she spotted Katara, blue lightning erupted from her hands and shot across the grand cave. Aang must have seen her too because he quickly spun her around and bent up a large wall of earth to protect them from the electricity.

Though the rocks disintegrated on impact, it gave Katara enough time to bend the water from the pool and block the second bolt from hitting them. Mist exploded and filled the entire cavern, and Katara could literally only hear her own breathing. She couldn't even see Aang through the thick fog, let along Azula.

A flash of blue caught Katara's eyes and she pulled another stream of water up to block it from hitting her. Aang must have had the same idea because she could feel him bending the water, as well. As the mist started to fade, Katara saw Azula standing up on a pillar of earth near the water. Aang bent the earth, breaking the pillar beneath her feet, and the princess quickly leapt into the air and landed between Katara and Aang, hands pointing at them both and readying for an attack.

Time stood still, all three teens waiting on baited breath for one of the others to attack.

A fire blast - bright and hot - exploded in the center of their standoff, and Katara whirled around to see Zuko approaching them, palm open and eyes narrow and calm. His gaze flickered to Azula, then to Aang, and lastly to her. He lingered on her for a long moment, then looked back to Azula and Aang.

Katara's heart threatened to burst in her chest at the cool, disconnected look in his eyes. He did not hesitate, but his actions would determine the result of this coup. Everything they had discussed, everything she offered, the whole  _world,_ relied on this moment.

And as her breath left her body, Zuko punched out a blast of fire.

* * *

_**fin.** _


End file.
